Chapter 9

I went back to my hometown over the Christmas holidays. For the past few years, I had called my grandma every single day. However, I just couldn't bring myself to see her in person. This was the first time I told her the truth. I showed her my injured leg. Her hands trembled as she reached out to touch it, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh, sweetheart… Why didn't you tell me? You've been through so much. I've failed your mom and dad." When I heard that, I pulled her into a hug and broke down. "It doesn't hurt anymore, Grandma." … It didn't stop snowing for three days after Christmas. Grandma and I stayed tucked inside the house, not stepping out once. That evening, the neighbor's boy came by. The first thing he did was lean in and whisper, "Hey, Kendall. There's a snowman outside your house, and it moves!" I laughed, thinking he was just being silly. But almost instantly, I knew something wasn't right. So, I opened the door to check. Sure enough, a "snowman" was standing