The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the cobblestone path where the family stood. The air was thick with unspoken words, the kind that cling to the back of the throat and refuse to let go. He crouched down, his eyes sparkling with an uneasy joy as he held onto the tiny, outstretched hand of his daughter.
The little girl, oblivious to the storm brewing around her, toddled forward in her Gucci outfit, the playful bear emblem staring back at the world with an innocent grin. Her laughter echoed, a bright, bell-like sound that seemed to slice through the tension in the air.
Behind them, the woman stood tall, a tight smile stretched across her lips, hands resting protectively over her swollen belly. Her dress, a soft blush pink, clung to her curves, the color a deliberate choice to mask the tremor in her heart. The pastel balloons framed her like a queen on a battlefield, each burst of color a reminder of the fragile happiness they were trying to preserve.
A gust of wind swept through, ruffling the balloons and sending a few tumbling away. The man’s eyes flicked upward, catching the movement, his jaw clenching as though each balloon carried away another fragment of what they once were.
The little girl giggled, unaware, and the woman’s eyes softened, her gaze drifting to the man crouched beside their daughter. For a brief, stolen moment, their eyes met, and the unspoken words finally found their place in the silence.
“We’re still here,” she whispered, voice quivering like the petals in the flower pots behind her.
But the wind kept blowing, and the balloons kept drifting away.
Beautiful family