"Mommy made it for you... before she went to heaven," the girl sniffled, carefully placing the braided bracelet into Jackson’s large, calloused palm.
Jackson’s hand, scarred from engine burns and hard living, cradled the fragile keepsake. With a trembling thumb, he wiped away the raindrops pooling on the silver heart. Underneath the neon glow of the diner's sign, a single word engraved on the metal emerged into sharp, agonizing clarity:
Emily
The breath caught in Jackson’s throat.
The entire world seemed to drop into absolute silence. The roar of the thunder, the drumming rain, and the humming neon lights faded away, swallowed by the deafening beat of his own heart.