Snow, soft and white, blanketed every inch of the forest, yet snowflakes still fell incessantly upon the ground. The woods were perfectly still, save for the crunching of footsteps made by a girl in a hood.

Her breath was visible as she climbed up the frosty hill, shading her eyes from the dazzling colour of the snow. Finally, she stopped at the very top with a sigh.

She knelt down, and with her bare hand, dusted the snow off of a gravestone. Without even looking at the inscription, she recited in a soft voice, “To live in the hearts of those we love is not to die.”

She paused for a moment, silently reflecting upon something, and then lowered her hood. Perched in her auburn hair was a single red rose, which she gently removed and dropped onto the grave.

“Happy Birthday, Little Brother,” she said aloud, letting her gaze settle on the flower. “How old are you now? Twelve? Wow.” The girl let out a breathless laugh. “You’re growing up so quickly.”

She paused to tuck a wisp of stray hair behind her ear. “I’m doing okay. Winter is always a little bit difficult, but I like seeing the snow. It reminds me of you. Do you remember that snowman we built, about six years ago? He was the ugliest thing on the face of the Earth. Of course, I couldn’t tell you that back then. You adored him.”

“In case you were wondering, Miles is doing fine. He’s still eating everything he gets his hands on. He’s seventeen times fatter than he was when we found him, which is good, but I miss having a kitten running around the house.”

A single tear slipped down her cheek, but the girl hastily brushed it away. “I miss you. I know it’s been four years and that I should move on, but the house is so, so quiet. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.” She stopped for breath and looked at the epitaph with pained eyes. Voice breaking, she whispered, “You weren’t supposed to join Mom and Dad yet. You were supposed to stay with me.

“I’m sorry for failing you.”

She dropped her head, burying her eyes with her sleeve. It’s no use, she thought. No amount of wishing will bring him back.

Suddenly, she heard a soft voice in her ear. A voice she hadn’t heard in five years. 

“It’s going to be okay, I promise. Please don’t cry. I’ll wait for you, no matter how long it takes, and one day we’ll see each other again.”

The girl spun, and for a split second, saw the smiling face of an eight year-old boy. Then, as soon as he had appeared, he vanished, leaving the girl alone in the forest once again.