Rhea POV
I was so shocked by that that the only word I could muster was a whispered "Oh."
"But then you disappeared," she finished. "No contact. No forwarding addresses. I was so worried about you. I asked about you, but I got nothing."
I swallowed thickly, reminded again about those hellish years.
"I'm sorry," I said, even though I didn't know who I was apologizing to.
She reached out and gave my hand a squeeze. "You were special, Rhea. You still are."
I looked back toward the glass wall.
At my painting.
At them praising it without knowing me at all.
"I missed a lot, didn't I?" I asked quietly.
"Yes." Mara was always honest. "But not everything is gone. I mean... you can pick up from here. It's not too late."
She pulled out her phone. "We should exchange numbers."
I nodded and
