diff --git a/cost.c b/cost.c
index 2373a6f..a82d6ad 100644
--- a/cost.c
+++ b/cost.c
@@ -12,6 +12,15 @@ void find_coord(Puzzle *puzzle, int value, int *x, int *y) {
     }
 }
 
-int manhattan(int x1, int y1, int x2, int y2) {
-    return abs(x1 - x2) + abs(y1 - y2);
+int manhattan_cost(Puzzle *current, Puzzle *goal) {
+    int cost = 0;
+    for (int j = 0; j < PUZZLE_DIMENSION; j++) {
+        if (current->board[j] != 0) {
+            int x1, y1, x2, y2;
+            find_coord(current, current->board[j], &x1, &y1);
+            find_coord(goal, current->board[j], &x2, &y2);
+            cost += abs(x1 - x2) + abs(y1 - y2);
+        }
+    }
+    return cost;
 }
diff --git a/cost.h b/cost.h
index c6cb43d..9258e97 100644
--- a/cost.h
+++ b/cost.h
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@
 #include "puzzle.h"
 
 void find_coord(Puzzle *puzzle, int value, int *x, int *y);
-int manhattan(int x1, int y1, int x2, int y2);
+int manhattan_cost(Puzzle *current, Puzzle *goal);
 
 #endif  // COST_H_
diff --git a/node.c b/node.c
index 8b446e8..7695b05 100644
--- a/node.c
+++ b/node.c
@@ -8,15 +8,16 @@ Node *generate_child_node(const Node *parent, const Direction direction) {
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    Node *child = (Node *)malloc(sizeof(Node));
+    if (!child) return NULL;
+
     Puzzle *new_state = (Puzzle *)malloc(sizeof(Puzzle));
     if (!new_state) return NULL;
 
     *new_state = *(parent->state);
 
-    move(new_state, direction);
-
-    Node *child = (Node *)malloc(sizeof(Node));
-    if (!child) {
+    // Free new_state if move fails
+    if (!move(new_state, direction)) {
         free(new_state);
         return NULL;
     }
@@ -24,22 +25,22 @@ Node *generate_child_node(const Node *parent, const Direction direction) {
     child->parent = (Node *)parent;
     child->state = new_state;
     child->move = direction;
-    child->cost = 0;
+    child->cost = parent->cost + 1;
 
     return child;
 }
 
 Node **generate_children(const Node *parent, int *num_children) {
     Node **children = (Node **)malloc(DIRECTION_COUNT * sizeof(Node *));
+    if (!children) return NULL;
+
     *num_children = 0;
 
     Direction directions[DIRECTION_COUNT] = {UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT};
 
     for (int i = 0; i < DIRECTION_COUNT; i++) {
         Node *child = generate_child_node(parent, directions[i]);
-        if (child != NULL) {
-            children[(*num_children)++] = child;
-        }
+        if (child) children[(*num_children)++] = child;
     }
 
     return children;
diff --git a/puzzle.c b/puzzle.c
index acf50dc..b1146a4 100644
--- a/puzzle.c
+++ b/puzzle.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ int is_valid_move(const Puzzle *p, const Direction direction) {
     }
 }
 
-void move(Puzzle *p, const Direction direction) {
+int move(Puzzle *p, const Direction direction) {
     int blank_row = p->blank_index / PUZZLE_SIZE;
     int blank_col = p->blank_index % PUZZLE_SIZE;
 
@@ -106,16 +106,18 @@ void move(Puzzle *p, const Direction direction) {
             new_col++;
             break;
         case NONE:
-            return;
+            return 0;  // No move made
     }
 
     if (new_row < 0 || new_row >= PUZZLE_SIZE || new_col < 0 || new_col >= PUZZLE_SIZE) {
-        return;
+        return 0;  // Move is out of bounds
     }
 
     int new_index = new_row * PUZZLE_SIZE + new_col;
     swap(&p->board[p->blank_index], &p->board[new_index]);
     p->blank_index = new_index;
+
+    return 1;  // Move successful
 }
 
 void print_puzzle(const Puzzle *p, int debug) {
diff --git a/puzzle.h b/puzzle.h
index ed8bbce..f64acc3 100644
--- a/puzzle.h
+++ b/puzzle.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ int get_blank_index(const Puzzle *p);
 int get_inversion_count(const Puzzle puzzle);
 int is_solvable(const Puzzle puzzle);
 int is_valid_move(const Puzzle *p, const Direction direction);
-void move(Puzzle *p, const Direction direction);
+int move(Puzzle *p, const Direction direction);
 void print_puzzle(const Puzzle *p, int debug);
 void shuffle(Puzzle *p);
 void swap(int *a, int *b);
diff --git a/solve/bfs.c b/solve/bfs.c
index 24c30b8..da3b3df 100644
--- a/solve/bfs.c
+++ b/solve/bfs.c
@@ -31,16 +31,21 @@ Node* bfs_solve(Puzzle* start, Puzzle* goal) {
 
         Node* current = dequeue(queue);
 
+        // Check if the goal state is reached
         if (compare_puzzles(current->state, goal)) {
             // Free the remaining nodes in the queue
             while (!is_queue_empty(queue)) {
                 Node* temp = dequeue(queue);
-                free(temp);
+                free(temp->state);  // Free the state associated with the node
+                free(temp);         // Free the node itself
             }
             free_queue(queue);
             free_hashset(&visited);  // Free the HashSet memory
+
+            // Print statistics
             printf("Solution found at depth %d after expanding %d nodes.\n", depth, nodes_expanded);
-            return current;  // Found the goal
+
+            return current;  // Return the solution node
         }
 
         // Generate the children nodes of the current node
@@ -50,22 +55,15 @@ Node* bfs_solve(Puzzle* start, Puzzle* goal) {
 
         for (int i = 0; i < num_children; i++) {
             // Calculate cost of the child node
-            int x1, y1, x2, y2;
-
-            for (int j = 0; j < PUZZLE_DIMENSION; j++) {
-                if (current->state->board[j] != 0) {
-                    find_coord(current->state, current->state->board[j], &x1, &y1);
-                    find_coord(goal, current->state->board[j], &x2, &y2);
-                    children[i]->cost += manhattan(x1, y1, x2, y2);
-                }
-            }
+            children[i]->cost = manhattan_cost(children[i]->state, goal);
 
             // Check if the child state has been visited
             if (!contains(&visited, children[i]->state)) {
                 enqueue(queue, children[i]);           // Enqueue unvisited child
                 insert(&visited, children[i]->state);  // Mark as visited
             } else {
-                free(children[i]);  // Free memory for already visited child
+                free(children[i]->state);  // Free state memory for already visited child
+                free(children[i]);         // Free memory for already visited child
             }
         }