The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 271

Archie stopped crying.

Now, he just stood there quietly, letting the tears pool in his eyes and blur everything in front of him. He simply hugged his mother's photo tight against his chest. His short, tiny fingers gripped the edges of the frame so fiercely that his knuckles turned white.

Jackson stood on the opposite side of the altar. He wore a simple dark suit, his hands hanging limply at his sides. His eyes were bloodshot, and heavy bags sagged beneath them, as if every ounce of life had been drained from his body.

The officiant stood next to him in a black suit with a small white flower pinned to his lapel. He remained silent for a few seconds, waiting for the muffled sobs in the hall to fade before he slowly began to speak. His voice was deep and steady, each word carefully measured and ringing clearly through the quiet chapel.

"Honored guests, thank you for coming to Grace Chapel today with heavy hearts to bid our final farewell to Ms. Sloane Taylor."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the photo on the altar with its faint, gentle smile.

"Ms. Sloane Taylor was a researcher for the National Polar Research Center, an outstanding competitive swimmer, and a deep-sea diver. In August of this year, while executing a national polar expedition, she sacrificed her life beneath the Antarctic ice sheet to secure crucial research samples. She was only twenty-six years old."

He lowered his head slightly, a subtle wave of emotion rippling through his voice.

"She was someone who dedicated her life to science. She was a hero who chose to march forward into the blizzard. She was someone who shielded her colleagues, taking the danger upon herself. Her passing is a devastating loss for the icy frontier she loved, for the comrades she fought alongside, and for this entire nation."

He lifted his head, looking forward again, his voice regaining its initial composure.

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