Chapter 13 - Blood and Ink
Eleanor’s heart fractured at the confession. This twenty-two-year-old girl hadn't abandoned her sister; she had been swallowed whole by the same cruel world that had taken Maya. Sarah had sacrificed her own freedom, trapped in a dead-end town, working herself to the bone just for a chance to fight the legal system for Lily.
Eleanor stepped forward and slowly sank to her knees, heedless of the spilled coffee soaking into her expensive tailored trousers. She leveled her eyes with Sarah’s.
"You fought a war you never should have had to fight," Eleanor said softly, her voice thick with emotion. "You did a beautiful, brave job protecting her, Sarah. You are exactly like your mother."
Sarah’s breath hitched at the mention of Maya.
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"I am Eleanor," she continued, reaching out to gently touch Sarah's trembling hand. "I am Maya's sister. I am your aunt. And I promise you, neither of you will ever have to fight for your survival again. I am bringing you both home."
The walls Sarah had built to survive the last three years finally crumbled. She leaned forward, burying her face against Eleanor’s shoulder, weeping with the profound, exhausting relief of a soldier who had finally been told the war was over.
