The cab turned onto the lakefront drive, the dark water of Lake Michigan churning against the stone barriers.

The city skyline was hidden by the clouds, a grey wall that seemed to have no end.

And the man beside me closed his eyes, his breathing slow and steady as the car moved on.

I held Lauren’s hand, her small fingers warm in mine.

“We’re going to be okay, Evelyn,” she whispered, her eyes closed.

“I know, sweetie,” I said.

But as I looked at the gold key, I knew the truth was much colder than the snow.

And the promise we had forgotten was about to be remembered.

The cab slowed down, the tires crunching over the gravel of a driveway I had never seen before.

In the distance, a large, dark house stood against the grey sky, its windows dark and empty.

The man opened his eyes and looked at the house.

“We’re here,” he said.

And the door of the cab clicked open, letting the freezing wind back inside.

We stepped out into the snow, the cold hitting us like a wall.