As I stood there, holding Aimee in my arms, the realization of what we had both just been through began to fully settle in. The darkness I had fought against for so long was gone, Emily was no longer a threat, and somehow, I had come out the other side of this battle not just alive, but free. Free in a way I hadn't been for years. And yet, the magnitude of that freedom was overwhelming.
I pulled Aimee closer, breathing in the familiar scent of her, the smell of her hair, the warmth of her body against mine. It grounded me, reminded me of why I had fought so hard for so long. For this. For us. But the chaos of everything still hummed in the background, and I could feel the tension in Aimee, too. Despite the victory, there were still so many unanswered questions, and the future loomed before us like an uncertain shadow.
