Hearing the noise, both Lily and her father, Mr. Henry Whales, rushed into the living room to see what was happening. The moment Lily saw me, she ran forward and wrapped her arms around me.
"What happened, Mom?" she asked, her voice trembling as she held me tightly.
That hug… it did more for me than anyone could ever imagine. Her warmth seeped into me, quieting the chaos inside my chest. My trembling slowed, my heartbeat softened, and for the first time in a long while, I felt safe. I stayed there in her arms until my eyelids grew heavy and I drifted into sleep—peaceful, deep, and dreamless.
---
When I woke up the next day, the sun was already high. The clock on the bedside table read 11:50 a.m.—almost noon. I blinked slowly, realizing where I was.
Lily's room.
The scent of her vanilla-scented lotion filled the air, and for a fleeting moment, I felt at peace. I wasn't in that house. I wasn't with Luke. I was safe… at least for now.
But reality soon crept back in. People were going to ask questions—Lily, her parents. I needed to come up with answers. I couldn't appear weak, not now.
I forced myself to get up, took a quick bath, and when I returned, I noticed a neatly folded set of clothes on the couch with a small note on top that read:
"Wear this 💕 – Lily."
A small smile tugged at my lips. I dressed up and walked out of the room, heading for the living room—where, just as I expected, the Whales family was waiting.
"Vivian, you're up!" Lily exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and hugged me again—just as tightly as she did last night.
"It's good you're awake. You should eat first," she said, pulling me gently toward the dining table before I could even respond.
On the table sat three tuna sandwiches and a cup of warm tea. Lily placed the plate in front of me and sat beside me. Her parents joined us too, quietly taking their seats as if they had been waiting for me all along.
I took a bite, and they all began eating with me, the silence strangely comforting.
It hit me then—this simple act, this quiet breakfast—it was something I'd never had. A family waiting for me. Sharing food together. It filled me with warmth so sudden and so fierce that my chest ached.
My eyes began to burn, tears threatening to fall, but I blinked them away.
I couldn't ruin this moment.
Not this one.