Julie stood in the quiet living room, the stillness surrounding her like a cloak. The house was empty now, but not with the heavy loneliness that used to gnaw at her. This was a quiet she had chosen. She had made her preparations, and sent the children far away to Spain, to Alex’s grandparents, knowing it was the safest place for them.
There was no room for hesitation now, no room for fear. Sara was coming, just as she had always known she would. It had only been a matter of time.
For years, Julie had lived with the specter of her sister hanging over her life. Even with Sara locked away, the scars of the past had never truly faded. Julie had moved on, rebuilt her world, and healed. But the nagging sense that this moment would come had never left her.
She wasn’t going to run. Not this time.