“Maybe a cabin by the lake this summer,” Linda said with a smile, her eyes lighting up. Emily nodded absently, but her mind was elsewhere, replaying the scene from the cafe over and over. She could barely touch her food, her appetite lost to the knot of frustration in her chest.
After dinner, Emily excused herself and went upstairs. Her room felt like a safe haven, the only place where she could let her guard down. She sat on her bed, scrolling through the short video she had taken, studying every frame. It wasn’t enough—not yet.