VALERIE
The next day, Xavier took me to his study. And she was there.
I walked in and at the sight of her, it was like all the air was knocked from my lungs.
Staring at Ava felt like a dream.
It was her. I knew it was her. And she seemed to recognize me as well. If I had been holding anything at the moment, I would have dropped it. But instead I just froze there, staring at her. Wondering if I’d ever actually woken that morning, or if I was still steadily dreaming.
And when I realized this was no dream at all, my heart quickened in my chest.
“V-Valerie,” Ava mumbled, her eyes wide, her mouth parted.
We did nothing but stand there, facing one another for a long while.
Then tears hit my eyes. I stumbled to her, my legs numb beneath me, and wrapped her in my arms. We nearly went to th
