In the seconds that Ali’s eyes remained closed, my heart pounded in my chest. It had become unbearably hard to swallow, the lump in my throat painful now as I waited. Each second felt like an eternity passing, until finally, they flickered open. The silence in the room told me our plan was going exactly as we’d hoped, but still, I couldn’t breathe. Allison’s eyes searched mine, her lips unbearably still until finally they twitched. Recognition lit up her eyes, and relief crashed over me in waves. Ali breathed a quiet sigh of relief, leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes again. She knows me. We’re okay. She’s okay.
I backed away from her slowly, allowing Sabine to get a little closer to inspect my work. Silently, my eyes still pleaded with Allison’s. Play along. We had her no
