LYRA
I don't know how long we stood there.
Willow held me while I cried, her arms steady and sure around me. She didn't say anything. Didn't tell me it would be okay or that I was overreacting.
She just held me.
And somehow, that was exactly what I needed.
Eventually, my tears slowed. My breathing evened out. I pulled back, wiping at my face. "I'm a mess."
"You're human," Willow said. Then she caught herself. "Well. You know what I mean."
Despite everything, I almost laughed.
She guided me to a stone bench tucked beneath a willow tree—fitting, really—and we sat down together. The garden was beautiful at night. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the grass. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear the faint murmur of voices from the ballroom, but ou
