Inside, lying propped up on a makeshift bed of folded blankets and thin pillows, was Emma. Her face pale, eyes sunken from months of unconsciousness but open.
For a breathless moment, cousin met cousin… two lives forever tangled in pain and survival. Jean's lips parted, a rush of tears blurring her vision.
"Emma…"
And Emma, her voice raspy, barely above a whisper, answered back. "Jean… you found me…"
Logan stood at the threshold, one hand resting on the frame, gaze locked on Jean as she knelt beside Emma. He had seen Jean many times… furious, proud, unbreakable but never like this. Shoulders shaking, voice breaking into raw relief.
For a fleeting second, he wished he could step in, wrap his arms around her, shield her from every pain this world kept throwing at her.
Beside him, Hannah swallowed hard, her fingers twisting nervously at the hem of her jacket. "She really loves Emma, doesn't she…" Hannah whispered, her voice tinged with awe and sadness.
