Arriving in Dallas, Sophie felt a wave of relief as she pulled into Rachel’s driveway. The porch light was on, illuminating Rachel’s warm smile as she opened the door. “Welcome home,” Rachel said, wrapping Sophie in a comforting embrace. “And you,” she added, kneeling to hug Ethan. “I’ve got a room all set up for you.”
Over the next few weeks, Sophie found solace in the familiarity of her friendship with Rachel and the stability of a supportive environment. She started each day with small steps, determined to rebuild her life from the ground up. The first step was enrolling Ethan in a nearby school; she wanted him to have a semblance of normalcy.
