They collapsed together, breathing hard. Up front, Mary interrupted her song to call back, “Welcome to the Club.”
She and Joaquin burst into laughter, holding each other. Danya was filled with an inexpressible tenderness. She could hear his heart beat in his chest as she lay her head against it.
“Danya.”
“Yes?”
“Mary brought some extra clothes for you. You don’t have to wear that shift any more.”
Something other than the shift? Her body suddenly clenched uncomfortably. It was all she had known for years. She knew that she would be accustomed to other clothes, but the realization of what was happening to her suddenly crashed on her consciousness.
No more Centre. No more Matrons, no more Madame. No more Seniors. All the nightmares were passed, and the past.
Her dreams were finally he
