As Debbie closed the door behind Pasco, she leaned against it, taking a deep breath. The heaviness in her chest began to lift, replaced by a quiet sense of closure.
Later that night, as she sat with Filex on his balcony, she told him everything—about Pasco, the letter, and the visit.
"I told him I couldn't go back," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Filex placed a hand over hers, his touch reassuring. "And how do you feel now?"
"Free," she admitted, a small smile tugging at her lips. Filex leaned closer, his forehead resting against hers. "Then that's all that matters."
As the city lights twinkled around them, Debbie allowed herself to believe in the possibility of a future where her heart could fully belong to someone who chose her, every single day.
And for the first time in years, she felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be.