Emma stayed up.
Olivia stayed until 5:00 AM, curled on the couch beside her, holding her hand. They didn't talk much. There wasn't much left to say. Emma had laid out the truth — all of it — and Olivia had listened. Now there was only the waiting.
At 5:30 AM, Olivia kissed Emma's forehead and left. She had her own life, her own wedding to plan, her own future to build. She promised to call at noon.
Emma sat alone in her apartment as the sun rose.
The photograph was on the coffee table. She had looked at it so many times now that the edges were soft. The little girl with the yellow ribbon smiled up at her.
Run, the boy had said. Run and don't look back.
She had run.
She had spent twenty-five years not looking back.
And now she couldn't look away.
---
At 7:00 AM, Emma showered.
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