A day later.
I was finally home. It felt odd to be back amongst the forest and crisp northern breeze. With the air filled with the fresh scent of pine and the ground scattered with their natural litter, nothing had changed. Everything was perfectly peaceful. The bright sunlight fought its way through the multitude of branches to produce only a dappled version of itself and the nesting birds tweeted from high above. It was hard to believe that anything terrible could ever happen here. But the thought of Milly lingered like a terrifying shadow at the back of my mind. And the worst part? We were so close and now so powerless.
As our house came into sight, I took Leo's hand. He turned to me and tucked my hair behind my ear.
"Ready?" He asked.
I nodded and he kissed me softly on the forehead.