time.’
She nodded like that was enough.
Maybe it was.
That night, after I tucked her in, I stood in the hallway for a long moment and listened to the quiet of a house that held no secrets from me.
I had once believed safety came from perfect plans, reinforced steel, and trusting the right people without question.
I know better now.
A home is not safe because it is beautifully built.
It is safe because the truth inside it is stronger than the lies trying to enter.
Emma taught me that before anyone else could.
And because she did, I was still there to turn off her light, close her door, and walk back into a life that was finally, unmistakably, my own.