Isle POV
The drive home was almost unbearably quiet.
Rain continued to fall against the windshield, washing the city into blurred streaks of amber and white. No one turned on the radio. No one tried to fill the silence with meaningless conversation.
For once, silence wasn't awkward.
It was necessary.
I looked toward the passenger seat.
Mian rested her head against the window, watching the rain with tired eyes. She hadn't cried since the beach, but something about her expression made my chest tighten.
She looked...
Empty.
Not hopeless.
Just exhausted.
The kind of exhaustion that came from holding yourself together for far too long.
When the car stopped in front of the house, Mian reached for the door first.
"I'll be fine," she said quietly.
Nobody moved.
She looked back at us, forcing a weak smile.
"You don't have to keep worrying."
Kael folded his arms.
"We're going inside."
"I know."
"And we're worrying."
For the first time that night, the corner of Mian's lips lifted.
"You've become annoyingly honest."
Kael shrugged.
"I learned from the best."
Even Mian couldn't hide the tiny laugh that escaped her.
It lasted barely a second.
But it was real.
---
Husband POV
He unlocked the front door.
The familiar warmth of the house greeted them, but tonight it felt different.
Usually Mian would remind someone to take off their wet shoes.
She would complain about water on the floor.
She would disappear into the kitchen to make tea for everyone before anyone even asked.
Tonight...
She simply stood in the entrance.
As if she had forgotten what came next.
He noticed it immediately.
So did Kael.
So did Isle.
Without saying anything, Isle quietly walked to the kitchen.
A few minutes later she returned carrying four mugs.
"They're not perfect," she admitted.
"I made tea instead of hot chocolate this time."
Kael took one sip.
"It's terrible."
Isle glared at him.
"Then don't drink it."
"I didn't say I was going to stop."
The Husband chuckled.
For a brief moment, the heaviness in the room eased.
Mian watched them quietly.
She wasn't smiling anymore.
But her eyes were softer than they had been all evening.
---
Mian POV
I wasn't used to this.
People staying.
People waiting.
People refusing to leave simply because I told them I was fine.
For years...
"I'll be fine."
Those four words had ended every conversation.
Tonight they hadn't.
And strangely...
I didn't hate it.
I looked down at the warm mug between my hands.
The tea wasn't very good.
Too sweet.
Slightly bitter.
The milk wasn't mixed properly.
It was exactly the kind of tea Isle always made.
I took another sip anyway.
---
Kael POV
Around eleven o'clock, Mian excused herself.
"I think I'll try to sleep."
Nobody stopped her.
She climbed the stairs slowly.
Not because she lacked strength.
Because every step seemed heavier than the last.
Once her bedroom door closed, Kael finally spoke.
"She's frightened."
The Husband nodded.
"I know."
"Not of us."
"No."
"Of herself."
Silence settled over the living room.
Kael leaned back on the sofa.
"I kept thinking the answer was exposing the truth."
He laughed bitterly.
"I never stopped to wonder what she'd do once she finally faced it."
The Husband looked toward the staircase.
"Sometimes people build their entire identity around surviving."
"And when survival isn't necessary anymore?"
"They don't know who they're supposed to become."
Neither man noticed Isle standing quietly in the hallway.
She heard every word.
---
Isle POV
I couldn't sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Mian sitting alone in that car overlooking the ocean.
The woman who always carried everyone else's burdens had finally admitted she couldn't carry her own anymore.
How long had she been pretending?
Months?
Years?
My thoughts wandered back to the letter.
"I'm scared that one day you'll stop choosing me."
I had spent so much time wondering whether Mian's actions were right or wrong.
I never stopped to ask whether she was lonely.
The answer seemed painfully obvious now.
I looked upstairs.
A soft light still glowed beneath her bedroom door.
She wasn't asleep either.
Before I could overthink it, my feet carried me upstairs.
---
Mian POV
Another nightmare.
Not loud.
Not terrifying.
Just familiar.
A little girl standing outside a house.
Holding a small backpack.
Waiting for someone to tell her whether she was staying.
Or leaving.
Every time the dream ended before she received an answer.
I opened my eyes sharply.
The room was dark except for the bedside lamp.
My breathing was uneven.
I pressed my palms against my face.
"Get yourself together."
The words sounded hollow.
A gentle knock interrupted my thoughts.
Three soft taps.
Exactly the way Isle always knocked.
"Come in."
The door opened slowly.
She stood there wearing loose pajamas, her hair slightly messy from trying to sleep.
"I couldn't."
I frowned.
"Couldn't what?"
"Sleep."
For some reason, that answer made me smile.
"Neither could I."
She hesitated near the doorway.
"Can I stay for a while?"
For years...
I would have answered differently.
I would have said no.
Told her not to worry.
Pretended everything was under control.
Tonight...
I simply nodded.
She walked in and sat on the floor beside my bed, resting her back against the mattress.
Neither of us spoke.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable.
Outside, rain tapped gently against the windows.
Inside, the room felt strangely peaceful.
After several minutes, Isle spoke without looking at me.
"When I was little..."
I waited.
"I thought you never got scared."
A quiet laugh escaped me.
"I was terrified all the time."
"I never noticed."
"I made sure you didn't."
Those words hung between us.
Finally, Isle looked up.
"You don't have to do that anymore."
I stared at her.
She wasn't making a promise.
She wasn't trying to fix me.
She was simply telling me what she believed.
For the first time in a very long while...
I wanted to believe it too.
Outside, dawn was still hours away.
But somehow...
the night didn't feel quite as dark anymore.
End of Chapter 67