[ Sharon leans into Rose’s hands, feeling the warmth of her touch, her heart so full it presses heavily in her chest. The tears flow freely now, but Sharon doesn’t care. These tears aren’t born from sorrow—they’re from the overwhelming relief, the sheer joy of being here, with her mother again. Her emotions swirl and crash like waves, impossible to contain. ]
Twenty [ she repeats, her voice thick as her head bobs in an almost frantic nod. Twenty. And soon, in less than six months, she’ll be twenty-one. (And older, so much older than that in some ways.) ] God, mom, there’s so much I need to tell you, so many people you have to meet.
[ Friends—people who’ve become like family to her. And a boyfr—no, fiancé. Her breath catches in her throat, the excitement and emotion making it hard to breathe. But she doesn’t want to overwhelm Rose, not yet. It’s too early for that. There’s time. ] We’ll get you settled first. Before anything crazy [ she promises with a smile, the rush of words tapering off into something softer.
Taking one of Rose’s hands in her own, Sharon leads her gently out of the wooded area and toward the school grounds, her grip firm, almost too tight, as if afraid to let go—as if Rose might disappear again if she loosened her hold. Their fingers lace together, and Sharon gives her hand a small, nervous squeeze. ] There’s someone you have to meet before anyone else, though [ she says, her voice quieter now but no less thick with emotion. ] I met someone. We just got engaged, actually, so…
[ She trails off, not from nerves exactly, but from the weight of it. This is a big moment, one she never thought she’d have. A part of her had accepted that she’d never get to share this with her mother. But here they are. Sharon laughs, the sound soft and full of disbelief at the reality of it all. ]
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Twenty [ she repeats, her voice thick as her head bobs in an almost frantic nod. Twenty. And soon, in less than six months, she’ll be twenty-one. (And older, so much older than that in some ways.) ] God, mom, there’s so much I need to tell you, so many people you have to meet.
[ Friends—people who’ve become like family to her. And a boyfr—no, fiancé. Her breath catches in her throat, the excitement and emotion making it hard to breathe. But she doesn’t want to overwhelm Rose, not yet. It’s too early for that. There’s time. ] We’ll get you settled first. Before anything crazy [ she promises with a smile, the rush of words tapering off into something softer.
Taking one of Rose’s hands in her own, Sharon leads her gently out of the wooded area and toward the school grounds, her grip firm, almost too tight, as if afraid to let go—as if Rose might disappear again if she loosened her hold. Their fingers lace together, and Sharon gives her hand a small, nervous squeeze. ] There’s someone you have to meet before anyone else, though [ she says, her voice quieter now but no less thick with emotion. ] I met someone. We just got engaged, actually, so…
[ She trails off, not from nerves exactly, but from the weight of it. This is a big moment, one she never thought she’d have. A part of her had accepted that she’d never get to share this with her mother. But here they are. Sharon laughs, the sound soft and full of disbelief at the reality of it all. ]