I didn’t feel like I was fighting to get out of here.
Emily had a lot to do with that.
I’d spent the entire day with her and Lil Z, and I had to admit something I didn’t expect.
Having her here felt better than if Ares had let my cousin come.
I loved my cousin, but she would’ve brought drama, questions, and a thousand opinions about everything going on in my life.
Emily brought calm.
She laughed easily. Talked about regular shit. Let Lil Z run around the estate freely now that my momma was gone, and honestly, her and Zay weren’t wrong for keeping him away.
Right now, we are sitting on the balcony outside my room, feet soaking in warm bowls while two quiet women work on our nails.
The staff here barely spoke English.
Which made the whole thing feel even more private.
Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way" drifted out from somewhere inside the house.
The sky was turning pink and gold over the water.
And Lil Z was running back and forth across the secured balcony with a toy car in his hand, making engine noises under his breath.
Emily watched him with that soft smile she always had when she looked at her son.
I noticed it a lot today.
The way she loved him.
The way she moved was slower sometimes because of her disability, but she never complained about it.
She didn’t let it define her.
Not once.
“I like you here,” I admitted quietly.
Emily looked over at me.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
She laughed softly.
“Well damn. That almost sounded like a compliment.”
“I’m serious,” I said. “It’s been comforting having you and Lil Z here.”
She smiled, leaning back in the chair.
The nail technician finished painting the last coat on my toes and stood up quietly with the other woman.
They spoke softly in French to each other before gathering their things and stepping back inside.
Now it was just the two of us and the sound of the ocean.
