The morning sunlight crept in through Talia's window, brushing softly against my face. I blinked awake, not sure where I was for a moment. My body ached from the awkward position I had slept in on the couch, but the heaviness I felt wasn't from that alone.
I sat up slowly, my hand instinctively resting on my belly.
Grace sat quietly across the room. She looked tired, not angry nor upset. Just tired. Her eyes were puffy, like she hadn't slept much either. Talia must have let her in while I was still knocked out from exhaustion.
We didn't speak for a while.
Talia brought us tea and biscuits, then quietly disappeared into her room, giving us space.
I wrapped my hands around the warm mug. My fingers trembled slightly. The silence between us grew thick. Finally, Grace broke it.
"I didn't mean to yell at you yesterday," she said softly. "I just panicked. I was worried sick, Ava."
I looked down at the tea, my throat tight. "I know."
She took a breath, her voice strained. "I... I never wanted you to feel like you had no one. I may not be perfect, but you're all I have. And I'm scared too, you know?"
Something shifted inside me. I looked up, and for the first time, I didn't see her as the strict, cold figure I was used to. I saw a woman trying, clumsily, maybe but trying.
"I was going to have an abortion," I whispered, "because I didn't know what else to do."
She nodded, her eyes glistening. "I figured."
A tear slid down my cheek. "But then I saw that little boy... and I just... I don't know anymore."
Grace didn't speak. She just leaned forward and held my hand. Her palm was warm and steady.
I swallowed hard. "Thank you for coming for me."
She gave me a faint smile. "I'd do it again. A hundred times."
I looked at her again, really looked. Her eyes were gentle. Her hands, weathered from years of hard work, held mine like I was something delicate. I exhaled slowly.
"Thank you, Aunt Grace," I said.
Her breath caught. For a second, she froze.
"You've never called me that before," she said, her voice breaking.
I hadn't even noticed until she pointed it out. But I meant it. For the first time, I truly meant it.
She reached across and pulled me into a hug, her arms trembling around me. "That means the world to me," she whispered into my hair.
We stayed like that for a while just two broken people holding each other.
Later that afternoon, I took a walk.
The streets buzzed quietly, but my thoughts were louder. I replayed everything in my head. The test. The night at that house. The blood. The ring. That child with the whistle. My voice on the phone when I told Talia I couldn't do it. Aunt Grace's face when she begged me not to.
I paused on a quiet bench, reached into my jacket pocket, and pulled out the ring.
It was small and plain. Just a man's band. But it meant something. It could lead somewhere.
I held it tighter, staring at the simple curve of metal. I didn't know whose it was. But I would find out.
I tucked it away again, stood, and began walking back. Not just to the house but to everything I had been running from.
Aunt Grace's phone buzzed softly in her purse as the early morning light crept through the slits in Talia's curtains. It was still quiet outside, the world just beginning to stir. Inside, the warmth of the previous night lingered not just from the tea and the couch they'd shared, but from the way Grace and I had spoken, honestly, without defenses. For the first time in a long while, something between us felt repaired.
She stood slowly from the couch, stretching a little, then turned to me with a calmness that only came after tears had been shed. "We should head home, Ava."
I nodded, reluctant but ready. Talia came down the stairs just as we were grabbing our things, her hair tied in a lazy bun and her oversized shirt slipping off one shoulder. She looked like she'd barely slept.
"Leaving already?" she asked with a small yawn.
Grace offered her a gentle smile. "Yes, dear. Thank you for letting Ava stay. And…" Her voice softened, almost hesitant. "I'm sorry for how I snapped at you yesterday. I was worried, I didn't mean to take it out on you."
Talia blinked in surprise, then waved it off with a grin. "It's okay. I get it. She's important to both of us."
Something about the way Talia said that 'she's important to both of us' made my chest feel tight and warm at the same time. I never said it aloud, but I was grateful to have both of them.
She pulled me into a hug. "You sure you're okay?"
I nodded, hugging her back tightly. "Thank you for everything."
"No need. That's what best friends are for," she said, then whispered only for me to hear, "Call me if anything feels off again. Don't shut me out."
"I won't," I whispered back with a chuckle. "haha"
Grace gave her one last smile and we stepped outside. The sun had started to rise fully now, spreading golden streaks across the sky. Birds chirped as if the world had no idea what I'd been through. Or maybe they did and this was just their way of reminding me I was still here. Still breathing.
The ride home was quiet. Grace didn't fill the silence with questions or lectures. She simply drove, her hand occasionally tapping on the wheel, her mind deep in thought. I stared out the window, watching the city pass us by, the corners I used to avoid, the places that now held memories I couldn't erase.
When we pulled into the driveway, a strange sense of calm wrapped itself around me. The house stood still, like it had been waiting.
As we stepped out, Grace reached for the keys but paused. "Ava," she said gently, "I know I say this a lot, but… I want to remind you again. No matter what, I'm here for you. Even when it's hard, even when you think you don't need anyone… I'm still here."
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. "I know. Thank you... Aunt Grace."
Her lips trembled at the sound of that. "Every time you call me that, I feel like we're getting somewhere." We walked up to the porch together. As she unlocked the door, I exhaled slowly and stepped inside first.
The scent of the familiar overwhelmed me, a mix of vanilla from Grace's candles and faint traces of laundry detergent. The walls were the same, the couch in the same spot. Nothing had changed. But I had.
I dropped my bag beside the doorway, took one long look around, and let the tiniest smile creep across my lips.
"Home sweet home," I murmured.
And for the first time in a long while… I meant it.