Emma laughed.
“That sounds like an excellent plan.”
They continued walking, talking about lectures, books, and the ordinary things that make up a life.
And Emma realized that this was what she had wanted all along: not a perfect family, not a dramatic reunion, and not an apology that could magically repair eighteen years of silence.
She wanted the freedom to move forward without fear.
Years earlier, at thirteen, Emma had needed adults to protect her. Instead, she had been forced to carry responsibilities that no child should have faced alone.
Her father had loved her fiercely, but even his love had been shaped by fear.
Helena had regretted her silence, but regret could not turn back time.
Lucas remained a part of the past that Emma had no obligation to reopen.
And Sophie, the child who had once depended on her for everything, was now becoming a young woman capable of deciding what kind of future she wanted.
