Chapter 18: Echoes in the Glass
Mara started working at a local botanical conservatory, a sprawling glass structure filled with tropical flora that thrived despite the harsh coastal winters. It was a therapeutic choice, a deliberate effort to surround herself with growth and life after spending so long trapped in environments of decay and fear.
I visited her during her lunch break, bringing sandwiches from the deli near the pier. The air inside the conservatory was warm and heavy, thick with the scent of damp earth and blooming orchids. It was a stark contrast to the sharp, cold wind outside.
"Look at this," Mara said, pointing to a vibrant green fern that looked like it belonged in a rainforest rather than New England. "The root system was completely rotted when it arrived from the city suppliers. Everyone thought it was dead. But we cut away the decay, repotted it in fresh soil, and gave it time. Now it’s stronger than the plants that never suffered."
She was talking about herself, of course. I smiled, sitting on the wooden bench beside her. "It suits you here. You look peaceful."
"I am peaceful," she said, though her fingers toyed nervously with the strap of her apron. "But sometimes, when the glass rattles from a high wind, I think it’s the sound of windows breaking. I think about that night in the apartment, the sound of the door giving way."
I reached out, covering her hand with mine. "The doors here are locked, Mara. And I'm right down the street."
"I know," she murmured. "But the mind plays tricks. Evan might be gone, but the feeling of being hunted doesn't just vanish because a judge banged a gavel. It's like a ghost limb. You still feel the pain even after the threat is amputated."
May you like
As we ate, I kept the encryption key in my pocket hidden, a physical weight against my thigh. I wanted so badly to tell her about the shipping logs, about the retired captain, about the possibility that the rot had followed us here. But seeing the fragile peace blooming in her eyes, I chose silence. It was a dangerous choice, one that went against every protocol I had ever followed, but I was no longer just an officer of the law. I was a sister first.
Leaving the conservatory, the contrast between the warm glass house and the biting cold of the street felt like a slap. The world outside was beautiful, but it was harsh, and the thin glass of Mara’s new sanctuary was the only thing keeping the winter out. I needed to make sure that glass didn't shatter.
