(Mira)
The hallway felt longer than it ever had before.
Harlow walked on one side of me and Cassidy walked on the other. Claire stayed behind us, close enough that I knew she was there without needing to look back. Nobody rushed me, and nobody said anything for the first few steps.
For once, Harlow stayed quiet.
That was how I knew she was trying not to cry again.
At the end of the hall, Victor waited near the back door.
He was dressed in black, his face serious in that quiet way of his. When he saw me, something in his expression changed, and he cleared his throat before holding out his arm.
"You ready, sweetheart?" he asked.
My throat tightened.
I looked at his arm, then at his face, and for a second I couldn't answer. He wasn't my father by blood, but he had stood closer than t
