Chapter 16 - The Letter
A week passed. The physical scars faded, but the emotional ones lingered. Sarah found herself checking on Lily half a dozen times a night, her heart racing until she saw the rise and fall of her daughter's chest.
One afternoon, the mail arrived, carrying a thick, manila envelope from the county correctional facility. Inside was a handwritten letter from Brenda.
Sarah sat at the kitchen table, her hands trembling as she read the tear-stained pages. Brenda didn't ask for forgiveness; she knew she didn't deserve it. The letter was a raw, agonizing confession of a coward who had let fear override her basic humanity.
May you like
"I will spend the rest of my life paying for those three minutes of panic," Brenda wrote. "I am so incredibly thankful that Lily is alive. I am pleading guilty to all charges. I won't put you or Lily through a trial. It’s the absolute least I can do."
Sarah folded the letter, a tear slipping down her cheek. It didn't fix the trauma, but it provided a definitive end to the nightmare. Brenda was taking responsibility.
