Lyla hikes through an unfamiliar wood carrying the ashes of her late husband, Shawn. When she loses her footing on the trail, her composure crumbles with it, and the weight of her grief threatens to overwhelm her.
As Lyla begins to question the journey, Shawn’s ghost appears beside her. Their reunion forces Lyla to confront the emotions she’s kept buried — her sorrow, her anger, and the guilt of having fallen in love again. Shawn gently encourages her to open herself to happiness and to give this new relationship a chance, but Lyla resists, storming ahead as he follows.
When Shawn finally catches up to her, Lyla unleashes the grief and resentment she has carried since his death. Holding her close, Shawn urges her to let herself heal, reminding her that loving again does not mean leaving him behind.
As Shawn fades away, Daniel — Lyla’s new love — arrives to support her. Before disappearing completely, Shawn points out the tree Lyla has been searching for. Walking there together, Lyla stumbles once more, but this time Daniel catches her. At the foot of the tree, Lyla kneels and releases Shawn’s ashes, finally allowing herself to move forward.
About the Director.
Jon D. Owens is an American actor and writer whose career spans independent film, theatre and original storytelling. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Owens holds an MFA in Acting from the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, where his training also took him to the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia and to Kraków, Poland. His screen credits include Love in Country, in which he plays PFC Charles “Thumper” White, as well as the films The Missing Piece, Deadly Detour: The Goat Man Murders and the 2026 short Not Safe for Work. An experienced stage performer, Owens has worked across classical, devised and musical theatre, bringing a versatile and physically expressive approach to his performances. His background in both performance and writing reflects a commitment to character-driven independent storytelling.
