Chapter 18
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Lily’s dorm room was a standard, cramped double on the third floor of a historic brick building. Her roommate, a girl named Sarah with bright purple hair and a loud laugh, had already claimed the bed by the window. Sarah’s side of the room was covered in posters, fairy lights, and disorganized stacks of textbooks. Lily claimed the side by the door, unpacking her neatly folded clothes and arranging her desk with mathematical precision. Emma and Grant helped carry the remaining boxes, navigating the chaotic hallways filled with anxious parents and excited freshmen.
"I love your haircut," Sarah said, pointing a colorful pen at Lily. "It shows off your face."
"Thank you," Lily said, her hand instinctively brushing the edge of the scar near her ear. "I cut it short last year."
"It’s totally badass," Sarah grinned.
Grant cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable in the small, cluttered room. "Do you have everything you need, Lily?"
"Yes, Dad. Everything is here."
Emma stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Lily. It was a tight, fierce hug. They did not need to exchange tearful goodbyes. The bond between them was forged in fire and survival; it did not require constant verbal validation to remain unbreakable.
"Call me if you need anything," Emma whispered. "Even if it’s just because the dining hall food is terrible."
"I will," Lily promised.
Grant hugged her next. He held her carefully, mindful of her space. "I am very proud of you, Lily. More than words can say."
May you like
"I know," she said, looking him in the eye. "Drive safely."
When Emma and Grant finally left, walking down the crowded stairwell, Lily stood in the center of the small room. She was entirely alone with a stranger, hundreds of miles from the estate. She did not feel fear. She felt an overwhelming, profound sense of freedom.
