was dim, the blinking notification from Kara lingering. She

etend it didn't hurt to see Kara, a stranger, take what she

ep breath and

e do we

ity. What was she even supposed to say? Kara wasn't the enemy. The

o had been given nothing but the truth, whil

back out, Kara's r

ark. In

he pulled on a jacket a

hem. Kara was already there, sitting on a bench under a large tree, her

t to say, what to do. She hadn't expected to be here, standing a

pped in front of her. For a

t this," Kara

keep her emotions in

le, filled with unspoken words and years of confusion.

ke I belonged. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to be her daug

e thought she'd been holding onto-it was fading,

voice trembling. "I never asked for t

r. "But you were. You were the one who got the life

twist. She didn't de

me?" Kara a

d immediately. "I

her eyes. "Then why didn't you say anythi

was scared. I thought if I told them, they'd throw me

nted to take anything from you. I never

ime, Sara felt the weight of the years of ange

one differently. But I've spent so long pretending, pretending that

ose enough for Sara to feel it. "We're both the

feel like theirs. Not anymore.

"You're still you. E

zed she was holding. "But if I'm not t

. "You're you. An

verything they'd both been denied. But for the first time, it felt like they were seeing each other as human

we don't need to fix this right now. May

chest lessening. "I don't know if I'

a agreed. "But we can't

ghts. It wasn't a perfect reconciliation. It wasn't even close. But i

angry," Sar

t her and nod

ll ever stop being

y together," Ka

first time in days

nuing the story with more emotional depth, confro

-

frontation and

rossing t

at evening, her mind racing with thoughts she couldn't control. Everything had changed, but at the same time, nothing had c

illed with judgment. But it wasn't the students that kept Sara awake at night-it was the thought of facing her f

ent. Hadn't spoken to him. The walls

day, only to return late at night with no e

en they passed each other in the

with another me

et again? I

s sorting through her emotions, figuring out what she really wanted from all of this. The anger, th

s right. Even if she did

Whe

me place.

xing things between them. It was about understanding what they both

met just a few days ago. This time, the air was cooler, and the sound of children playing

she was holding onto something too precious to let go. Her expression was distant, h

w feet away. "You

at first. She let the silen

t you to think I'm trying to ta

's face, trying to read her, trying to see the girl

were," Sara said qu

n't you tell me the truth? Why didn't you

known all along that the truth had to come out, but she ha

ed. "I didn't know how to tell anyone. I tho

ce a little sharper now. "The wo

t was the reality they both faced now. The

y," Sara

a. I don't want you to apologize. I just want you to understand. This isn't just about y

wly, her throat

Kara said softly. "I don't want to

ara replied, her voice breaking slig

e're both victims of this. You're not the villain in this s

she could breathe. Like there was a way out of the storm t

ara asked, he

Now we figure out what

ding would lead them. But there was something in Kara's eyes-something real-that m

ill don't believe

doesn't need to be pr

There was no more need for pretense. No more pretendin

u," Sara said, her

long time, there was a glimmer of hope in

it in Kara's. It wasn't the perfect beginning. It wasn't a