Cora wipes her cheek quickly, like she doesn’t want Lily to see. Owen stays still, absorbing everything. Bren rubs the back of his neck, eyes suspiciously glassy. Da looks like he might punch himself in the face, and I’m done keeping my distance.
In three strides, I'm before Lily, cupping her face between my palms. And finally, those hazel eyes lock on mine, and it feels like the world comes back into focus.
Her voice cracks. “And you—you always said you’d protect me. That you’d never let anyone push me out. But you didn’t stop them.”
I feel the hit like a fist to the ribs.
“I know,” I whisper, stepping closer, every word scraped raw. “And you’re right. I didn’t. I should’ve fought for you. I should’ve stood between you and everyone in this room.” A breath shakes out of me. “I should’ve chosen you. And I didn’t. I’ll regret that for the rest of my life.”
Her eyes shine—hurt and soft and burning.
“I didn’t need perfection,” she says quietly. “I just needed someone to believe me.”
I swallow hard. “Then let me earn it now. Let me be that someone.”
She holds my gaze—long, searching, breaking me open from the inside out.
And for the first time since she walked through the door, her shoulders lower. Just slightly, but it’s enough.
“Alright,” she whispers.
Relief floods me so fast I almost stagger.
“Alright,” she repeats, turning to the room. “We can fix this. But it starts with telling the truth. All of it.”
Jonathan nods, standing tall again. “Then let’s sit. We’ve got a lot to put right.”
Lily steps forward.
And for the first time in months, we face it as a family.
“…and that’s everything I know,” Lily finishes, voice steady but tired, fingers curled around the mug Helen forced into her hands twenty minutes ago.
The room is thick with tension. Da sits at one end of the L-shaped sofa, arms crossed. Bren perches on the arm beside him, restless and fidgeting. Jonathan leans forward, absorbing every word as if it’s fuel. Owen is silent and unreadable in the armchair opposite. Helen sits close enough to touch Lily but keeps just enough distance to give her space. Cora watches, half proud, half heartbroken.
It’s been an hour of the truth poured raw.
No shouting or accusations.
Just the slow unravelling of months of damage, of missing information from both sides. Of laying everything out there between us and hoping it’s enough to let us move forward as one.
“If I’m going to stay… come home… there’s something you should know.”
Lily’s voice is steady, but I can see the small tremor in her fingers where they twist around each other. Everyone in thisroom loves her, and yet, not one of them has any idea what she’s about to drop on them.
She glances at me, and I nod, giving her the smallest, simplest support I can.I’ve got you. Always.
Before she can continue, Bren tips his head back, a soft, humourless laugh tugging at the edges of his mouth.
“Oh, is this you coming clean?” he drawls, faint smirk in place as he pushes his glasses up. “Because the secrets out.”
Lily raises an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth lifting. “It is?”
Jonathan clears his throat, softer this time. “Matt told us when you were missing.”
“He even punched Ciaran here to hammer home his point that nothing was keeping him away from you. Wish I had been there to see it,” Owen adds, smug in a way that makes me grin.
Lily blinks, and a laugh slips out before she can stop it. “Wait… that’s what you thought I was going to say?”
