It was Vian who stood frozen.
He had proposed to me the year before, and I had said no. I was afraid.
Back then, I had feared he, too, would leave, until he held me gently and said, "Then we won't. Just tell me whenever you're ready."
Vian pulled the car over. His voice shook. "Noemi… are you ready now?"
I wrapped my arms around him, my voice soft. "Yes."
I told him everything about Rohan, about what had happened. Until today, I had never spoken of it. It had been an open, festering wound; every time I touched it, it hurt all over again. But now, speaking of it, it felt like telling someone else's story. Without my noticing, it had healed over.
I spoke calmly. Vian's eyes filled with tears. "Noemi, I will never betray you."
*****
We were married quietly while traveling. There was n
