Page 324 of Safe With You

“I’ve been trying.”

“No, you haven’t.”

“True.”

I shook my head.

Her words stayed with me.

You seem open again.

Maybe there wasn’t one moment. Maybe it happened slowly enough that I didn’t notice until Luna was already part of Mila’s drawings and Saturday afternoons.

By the time Mila and I got home, she was halfway asleep.

She insisted she wasn’t.

Then she fell asleep while I was helping her get ready for bed.

I got her under the covers, turned on the night-light she claimed she didn’t need anymore but complained about whenever I forgot, and pulled her door mostly closed behind me.

The house went quiet.

I headed downstairs.

There was an Uno card sitting on the coffee table.

Yellow seven.

I picked it up.

“Cheater.”

I’d make her return it next time.

Probably.

I dropped onto the couch and reached for my phone.

There was a message from Luna from almost an hour ago.

Purple. Tell the criminal I found the purple one.

I smiled.

She’s asleep. Justice will be served tomorrow.

Her response came a minute later.

Thank you. I deserve peace.

You bought the pens.

Why are you committed to blaming the victim?

I laughed.

Then I sat there looking at her name.