Chapter 1 Safe for a moment

Lucy

I wasn't happy. I couldn't leave the prison of my relationship. I needed to be around people who truly loved me, so I booked a flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg-without telling Mike.

The silence on the flight was deafening. My thoughts were louder than the engines. I questioned myself, doubted myself. Am I running away? Or do I just need to see my family, to feel loved again?

A few hours later, I stood at my parents' front door. I rang the doorbell twice. Footsteps approached.

"My baby! Oh my God," my mom cried, pulling me into a tight hug.

"Hey, Mom," I said softly, hugging her back. God knows I needed that hug more than anything.

"Dan, come look who's here!" she called.

My dad appeared at the top of the stairs. "Hey sweetheart, come here-give me a hug," he said, arms open wide.

I held back tears. I just wanted to break down and cry.

I couldn't do it-I couldn't let them see me like this. I didn't want to break their hearts.

"Hey, Dad," I said, hugging him tightly. He held me for a moment, then gently pulled back and looked into my eyes.

"You don't look well, sweetheart. Is everything okay?" he asked, concern written all over his face.

I cleared my throat. "I'm okay, Dad. I've just been working a lot."

I hated lying to him, but I didn't have a choice.

"Go put your bags in your room and come down for a cup of coffee," Mom said.

"Mom, I just need to rest for a few hours. I'll come down later," I replied, offering her a tired smile.

She didn't push-just gave a small nod.

I walked to my bedroom, surprised to find it exactly the way I had left it. I dropped my bags on the floor, collapsed onto the bed, and sleep took me almost instantly.

Mila's Pov

I love Fridays-they're my favorite. We get to leave school early, and I usually stop by the library afterward. But just as I was lost in my thoughts, my phone buzzed with a message. I pulled it out and checked.

It was from Mom: "Hey Nana, your sister is home. Maybe come home early today?"

A huge smile spread across my face. I nearly jumped with excitement. Lucy was home! I had missed her so much, and I had so much to tell her. In that moment, I made up my mind-I was skipping the library today.

I said my goodbyes to my friends and headed straight home.

I got home and flew the door open. "Hey, Mom! Hey, Dad!" I called out as I ran upstairs.

I passed my own room and went straight to Sissy's. I opened her door quietly-she was fast asleep. But something didn't look right. Her face was pale, tense. There was something off... I could feel it.

I was about to step out when she suddenly started shaking, hugging herself tightly. Then she whispered through clenched teeth, "No... please stop, you're hurting me... Nooo!" Her voice cracked into a scream.

I rushed to her side. "It's okay, Sissy. It's just a dream. I'm here-it's me. You're safe," I said, wrapping my arms around her.

"Mimi..." she breathed, her voice trembling as she held onto me like her life depended on it.

Her eyes fluttered open, wide with fear and confusion.

"Mimi..." she breathed, clutching me tight.

I held her like she used to hold me when I was little and afraid of the dark. I didn't say anything. I just let her cry.

Her body trembled against mine, and I felt her tears soak into my shirt. For the first time in a long time, I realized how fragile my big sister had become. She was always the strong one-the protector, the calm voice in the storm. But now... now she was the one unraveling.

"I've got you," I whispered, brushing the hair from her face. "I'm here now."

She didn't respond-just closed her eyes and sank into my arms like it was the only place she felt safe. Her breathing started to slow, but I could still feel her heart racing. Whatever she was dreaming about... it wasn't just a dream. It was a memory.

I wanted to ask her what happened. I wanted to demand answers. But I knew this wasn't the time. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, and whatever she'd been through, it had drained her completely.

I looked around her room-my room too, once upon a time, when we used to sneak into each other's beds during thunderstorms or when one of us had a bad day. The posters on the wall were faded. Her favorite books still lined the shelves, untouched. It was like time had frozen in this space. But Lucy wasn't the same girl who had once danced around this room in her pajamas, singing into a hairbrush.

Something had broken her.

And I wasn't sure if I knew how to fix it.

---

I must've stayed there for almost an hour, holding her as she drifted in and out of sleep. Eventually, she relaxed just enough that I could slip out of bed without waking her.

Downstairs, I found Mom in the kitchen, quietly chopping vegetables. She glanced up when she saw me.

"How is she?" she asked, her voice low.

I hesitated, then shook my head. "Not okay."

Mom nodded slowly, as if she'd known this all along but hoped she was wrong. "She wouldn't talk much when she came in. Just said she needed rest."

"I think something bad happened," I said quietly, leaning against the counter.

Mom stopped chopping. "I know."

Her eyes met mine, and for a second, I saw the same worry I felt reflected in her face. The silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken fear.

"She needs us," I said.

"She always has."

---

Later that evening, I sat in the living room alone, flipping through photos on my phone. There was one of Lucy and me from last Christmas, both laughing like the world was light. She looked so alive in that photo-her smile wide, her eyes bright. Not like now.

I looked toward the stairs. I wanted to run up and hold her all over again. But something told me this time, hugs wouldn't be enough.

This wasn't just about exhaustion. Or stress. Or being tired of work.

Lucy had come home for a reason.

And I was going to find out what it was.

No matter what.