"It's not just Derian," she says in a low voice. "It's that you were my safe place. My sister. My refuge. And now I don't know if I can still trust you."
A tear falls into my lap. It hurts more than anything else.
"I understand. But if you let me... I'll do everything I can to be your safe place again. So you can trust me again."
She remains silent. Then she takes a long, trembling breath.
"I don't know if I can forgive you today. Maybe not tomorrow either. But... I want to try. Because I love you. Because you've always been my sister, even though this time you let me down."
A sob escapes my chest. I throw myself into her embrace. At first, she tenses... but then, slowly, she wraps her arms around me.
It's not the same hug as before. It's more fragile, more measured. But it's there.
