Silence filled the space.

Laura whispered, “We loved you.”

“That makes it worse,” Rebecca replied.

Because love doesn’t abandon.

In the end, I felt no anger. No victory.

Just emptiness.

Whatever they once were… was gone.

“You should leave,” Aaron said.

And they did.

I closed the door.

When I turned around, all seven of them wrapped their arms around me.

We had been hurt.

But we would survive—

the same way we always had.

Together.