Reza
The doors close behind Brianna.
No hesitation.
No backward glance.
Just the solid click of the latch and the quiet continuation of a morning that, for her, has already moved on.
I remain where I am.
The guard doesn’t prompt me. He doesn’t shift his weight or clear his throat. He stands a respectful distance back, eyes on the street, posture alert without being intrusive. Exactly as instructed.
Exactly as Aaron intended.
For a moment, the world feels oddly still.
Cars pass. Voices drift from inside the school. Children, teachers, the scrape of chairs against tile. Ordinary sounds. .
Brianna is in there now.
Just… present.
Starla exhales slowly inside me.
- That was her step, not yours.
- I know, I say back, chest tight in a way that isn’t fear. That’s why it mattered.
Th
