Eve
We stayed like that for a moment, letting the grief settle. I tried to keep my eyes dry and collect my thoughts. To put up a brave and bright front after all she had been through felt like a betrayal to the depth of her pain, so I let myself mourn with her. Mourning not just the years of suffering she endured, but the innocence stolen from her, the love she was denied, and the freedom that had always seemed just out of reach.
Finally, Jules pulled back slightly, wiping her face with trembling hands. Her cheeks were streaked with tears.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice raw and hoarse. "For listening, for... not pitying me. I hate pity. It makes me feel small."
I shook my head firmly, meeting her eyes. "You are not small, Jules. You are monumental."
She gave a watery smile, the barest hint of a flush returning to her freckled cheeks. "I don't feel extraordinary."
