Jack hadn’t been home for a few days; busy with work, he was sleeping at his studio. He was beginning to make a name for himself, selling a lot of pieces and having difficulty keeping up with the demand. I was happy for him, but at the same time something monstrous inside, something I barely wanted to acknowledge, resented him for his success.

I felt untethered without his presence to ground me, like I was too deep in darkness. I walked the short distance from our house.

It hadn’t snowed yet, but the temperature hovered near freezing. As I moved, I tugged the collar of my mohair coat into my neck. The grass was crisp and patchy, and each step felt like I was breaking glass. A group of kids kicked a soccer ball back and forth, colourfully bundled in hats, mittens, and scarves. I stopped for a moment to watch, hoping to absorb some of their carefree glee.

A lanky man in his late sixties stood nearby, propped against the trunk of a tree. He waved in my direction. I looked around to see if he was waving at someone behind me, but there was no one else. I smiled politely and nodded in greeting, then continued on. Scanning the park, I spotted Jack through the dying trees, sitting amid a cluster of people. They were drinking beer from cans, perched on a tattered blanket, the kind that someone’s grandmother had likely passed down to them when they moved out of their parents’ house.

“Hey, baby.” Jack waved, beckoned me to join them. I sat next to him and glanced around at the group. They were all wearing black. Vintage cashmere coats, scarves, leather gloves, tartan hats. All black.

“Who died?” I whispered to Jack.

He smirked and kissed me on the cheek as my gaze landed on Jessica’s face. My throat clenched and let go. I hadn’t seen her since the party.

“Hey, Grace.” She was wearing a black beret, her silky red hair peeking out beneath. “Jessica, remember?”

“Of course.” I forced a smile. “Nice to see you.”

“We were just talking about how Jack has the best hair.” She giggled, reaching up and running her fingers through his dark brown curls.

I began scratching my neck, and thought of how I had given him his last haircut.

Jack eyed her before pulling away.

He reached to put his arm around me and I recoiled. My eyes met Jessica’s, and she grinned. Those giant teeth. They seemed whiter in the light of day.

“I think I’m going to run to the store.” I stood up, my knees shaky. I steadied them, turning to Jack without making eye contact. “Do you need anything?”

He peeked down at the half-case next to him. “Um, no, I’m good.”

“Anyone else?” I asked the group.

The unfamiliar heads shook from left to right in their sea of blackness.

I walked at a clip toward the road. The group of kids who had been kicking the soccer ball now sat motionless and silent. Their heads rotated in unison as I approached. I felt as if I were in some sort of twilight zone.