My head falls back against the seat, and for the first time in my life, I don’t feel like I’m burning.
Not inside. Not anymore.
I close my eyes.
So… it’s done.
It’s finally done.
Addie
I wake up to sunlight slicing through curtains I don’t recognize. The walls are pale blue, streaked with faint golden accents, and there’s a softness to the air that feels unfamiliar.
And my bed—is this even my bed? When did I change it? The sheets smell of lavender and vanilla, a scent I don’t use.
Strange.
When did I fall asleep? My last memory…what was my last
memory?
I swing my legs over the side of the bed, the floor cool beneath my bare feet. Breakfast. That will help. As I pad toward the stairs, the faint murmur of voices drifts up, stopping me in my tracks. Naomi? Sam? They never wake up this early.
My heart quickens as I descend, one step at a time, each creak of the wood echoing in my ears. The voices grow louder, clearer, and then I see them. Naomi, Sam, and… my parents? Mason?
The air is sucked from my lungs.
They’re sitting around the table, sunlight pooling around them. My father, spatula in hand, flips a pancake with all the ease in the world. My mother is laughing at something Mason said, her hand on his arm. Naomi is devouring a Nutella-covered pancake, oblivious to the mess smeared across her cheek. Sam leans back in her chair, scrolling through her phone.
My parents. Mason. How could they…? My vision blurs, and tears spill over before I can stop them.
Am I breathing? Is this real? I must be losing my mind.
Great. Just what I need.
“Oh, hey, Ads,” my father says, glancing up with a grin that breaks me in half. “Pancakes?”
I don’t answer. I can’t. The words are trapped somewhere between my heart and my throat. My mother looks up, concern flickering in her eyes. “Addie, dear. What’s wrong?”
“Bad dream?” Mason asks, setting his coffee down and tilting his head at me. He’s so solid, so real.
“I… you… I thought…” The words won’t come.
I thought you were gone.
“You thought what?” Naomi mumbles through a mouthful of pancake, utterly unbothered by my silence. She’s already reaching for the blueberries.
Before I can think, I’m moving. I rush to Mason, throwing myself into his arms. He startles, but catches me, holding me steady. “Woah there,” he says, his voice warm, his laugh soft.
“Now when’s the last time they did that?” my dad jokes, flipping another pancake.
“Shh, honey, don’t ruin the moment,” my mother chimes in, and she pulls him close, resting her head on his shoulder.
“I missed you,” I whisper, my face buried in Mason’s chest.
“You… missed me?” he says, pulling back to look at me. His brows furrow. “It’s only been a few hours.”
“You have no idea,” I think, but don’t say. Instead, I just look at him. He’s… different. Brighter. Happier. I’ve never seen him like this before, so absolutely alive. My chest aches as I pull away, turning to my father.
