Chapter 36: In Memoriam

*Dante*

As I walked into the church, the weight of my grief and uncertainty threatened to crush me. The pews were filled with Layla's friends and family, their faces etched with sorrow and pain. I slipped into a seat at the back, my eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of Angela.

The service began, and I found myself lost in the tributes to Layla. Her friends spoke of her kindness, her infectious laughter, and her unwavering loyalty. 

Her colleagues praised her intelligence and her dedication to her work. And through it all, a picture began to emerge of a woman I had only just begun to know.

I realized, with a pang of regret, that I had only scratched the surface of who she truly was. I had been so caught up in my own world, my own desires, that I had never taken the time to really see her for the remarkable woman she was.