Elise reached for her sister and pulled her closer, slipping her arm around her shoulders. They both stared down at the basic white cross that marked their father’s grave. She instinctively touched Adelaide’s hair, her fingers brushing against the long tendrils that fell down her back.

“I still can’t believe he’s gone,” Adelaide whispered, and Elise dropped her cheek to her sister’s head. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing away the tears, refusing to break down when she was trying to be strong for the both of them.

It was only months ago that they’d all gathered together, under the tree that now marked their family’s small graveyard. Her father had sat, surrounded by them all, the smile on his face bright enough to power the sun itself, as her mother had poured wine for lunch.

“The Germans will never defeat the might of the French army,” he boasted. “The French and British forces will annihilate them, just you wait and see.”

Elise exchanged glances with her mother, stifling her smile at how certain Father was about their success. She saw the familiar twinkle in her mother’s eye, knowing that she too thought he was overconfident. But it didn’t seem to matter. The sun was shining, they had a feast spread out on the table to enjoy, and the wine was crisp and delicious. And while her father might be prone to exaggeration, they all believed they would win the war. Defeat seemed unlikely, if not outright impossible.

“How are you feeling?” she asked her brother, Louis. “Are you nervous?”

“He’ll be fine!” her father announced, slapping him on the back. “Our strong boy’s going to do our country proud, aren’t you, son?”

She laughed along with her brother as he flexed his bicep, passing him more cheese and slapping at her sister’s hand when she tried to take some of it.

“You leave it for Louis, we don’t know what he’ll be eating when he leaves here.”

The next day they waved him off, so certain that he’d be home before Christmas. Their fearless, handsome, fun-loving brother.

She swallowed, as if she could somehow force the memories down, bury them deep inside her so she never had to think about them again.

So much could happen so quickly. Now it was just the two of them. Louis had been dead within weeks of leaving home, their mother had died of what Elise guessed could have been a broken heart, and their father had succumbed to influenza only months after that beautiful lunch under a perfect, cloudless sky. The last day before everything she knew had changed forever.

Three white crosses were all that was left of them now, and it made her want to hold her sister even tighter to her side, to protect her from all the evil in the world, and shield her from any more pain.