Chapter 28
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The parole board denied Renata’s petition for early release, citing the profound, calculated cruelty of her original crimes and the lack of genuine remorse. As they walked out of the prison facility, the heavy metal doors clanging shut behind them, the bright afternoon sun felt incredibly warm.
"How do you feel?" Emma asked as they reached the car.
Lily looked back at the concrete walls of the facility. "I feel lighter. She looked so small, Emma. I spent ten years imagining her as a giant. But she was just a cruel, sad person."
Grant unlocked the car doors, offering a proud, quiet smile. "You destroyed her last illusion of control today, Lily. You did perfectly."
"Can we go get ice cream?" Lily asked suddenly, the heavy tension breaking into a light, youthful request. "The dining hall at school only has that weird frozen yogurt, and I survived a parole hearing. I think I deserve real ice cream."
Emma laughed, a genuine, unburdened sound. "You absolutely deserve real ice cream. Any place you want."
They drove to a small diner near the highway, sitting in a red vinyl booth. Lily ordered a massive chocolate sundae. Emma and Grant drank black coffee, watching her eat with an immense, quiet joy. There were no looming threats. There were no hidden cameras in their home. There was no one waiting to manipulate their grief.
"I think I want to switch my major," Lily announced, holding a spoonful of chocolate.
Grant raised an eyebrow. "From psychology?"
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"I still want to study psychology, but I want to double major in pre-law," Lily said. "Therapy helped me survive, but the law is what actually stopped her. I want to understand how to build better laws. The Claire and Lily Act was just the beginning."
Emma smiled into her coffee cup. The silent girl had truly become a force of nature.
