Emily
The morning sun sliced through the blinds of my bedroom, it was a peaceful light, the kind that promised an ordinary day, a day blessedly free of the shadows that had once consumed my life. I stood before the mirror and pulled a brush through my long hair.
A soft creak of the door pulled me from my thoughts. I watched in the mirror as the door swung open and a small figure, all pigtails and pajamas printed with tiny unicorns, stepped inside.
"Lily," I smiled, turning to face her.
"Hi," she said, her voice still thick with sleep. She shuffled over and leaned against my leg, her cheek pressing into the soft fabric of my robe.
"Are you ready to get dressed for school, sleepyhead?" I asked, smoothing down a stray piece of her hair.
She nodded, her pigtails bobbing. "Yep all ready.
