There was no way for Georgia to escape again. She took in a deep breath as she clenched her fist, then slowly, she moved her leg towards where her father sat. She could feel her heart thumping loudly against her ribcage.

It was too late to turn around. Too late to pretend her heart wasn’t in pieces.

She took a shaky breath and stepped forward. “I… I’m back.”

Her father didn’t move. “So I see.”

Georgia swallowed, forcing her voice to steady. “It’s over. The marriage. He...he never loved me. Not really.”

Her brother scoffed, low and sharp. “You think?”

Georgia’s shoulders stiffened. “I didn’t come here for a lecture, Mark.”

“No? Because we gave you one. A whole book’s worth, actually. And you still went ahead.”

“Mark.” Her father’s voice was quiet but firm.

Mark leaned forward. “No, Dad. She needs to hear this. We begged her. We told her he wasn’t the one. But no, Georgia had to follow her fairy tale.”

Georgia blinked hard, her throat burning. “You think I don’t know I messed up? You think I wanted to come back like this?”

“You walked right into it,” Mark muttered, standing up and pacing to the window.

May stepped in, touching Georgia’s arm gently. “She’s hurting, Mark. This isn’t the time.”

Her father finally spoke again, voice low and tired. “Sit down, Georgia.”

She obeyed, sitting on the edge of the couch like a guest instead of a daughter returning home.

“I should’ve listened,” she whispered. “You all tried to warn me.”

May sat beside her, reaching for her hand. “You loved him. That doesn’t make you stupid. Just… human.”

Silence stretched again.

“I kept waiting,” Georgia said, voice trembling. “Waiting for him to choose me. But he never did. It was always her.”

Mark turned around, arms folded. “Are you saying he was cheating on you the whole time?”

She didn’t answer. The look on her face said enough.

Her father finally let out a long sigh and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “You’re home now. That’s what matters.”

Tears slipped down Georgia’s cheeks. Not loud sobs, just quiet, steady proof that her heart had finally accepted what her head had known for months.

May leaned her head on Georgia’s shoulder. “You’ve got us. We’ll help you pick up the pieces.”

Mark rubbed the back of his neck, his expression softening. “Yeah. I’m still mad. But I’m your brother. So I’ll deal.”

Georgia gave a small, broken laugh. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

Her father stood, walking over to her, he patted her shoulder lovingly, before turning to leave without another word.

That was his way of saying you belong here.

Georgia turned to May, her eyes sad. “I thought you’d hate me,” Georgia murmured, her chin trembling against May’s shoulder. “After what I did to us…”

“Don’t be stupid,” May said, her voice thick with emotion. “I hated that you chose him. Not you.”

Georgia pulled back slightly, blinking at her. “I hurt you.”

May nodded. “Yeah. You did. But you’re here now. That’s all I care about.”

Georgia wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, her voice small. “I missed you every day.”

May smiled sadly. “I missed you too. Even when I told myself I didn’t.”

Georgia let out a shaky laugh. “I kept wanting to call you. So many times. But I thought... I thought you wouldn’t pick up.”

“I almost didn’t,” May admitted. “But then I’d stare at my phone like an idiot, waiting for your name to pop up.”

“I was scared,” Georgia whispered.

May reached out and took her hand. “I know. I was too. Scared you’d really be gone for good. That we’d never talk again.”

Georgia looked down at their hands, her thumb brushing over May’s knuckles. “I thought I had everything. And still, I felt like I was losing myself.”

May gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Because you were. You lost you trying to keep someone who never chose you.”

Georgia nodded slowly, tears slipping down again. “He made me feel like I was asking for too much… just by wanting to be loved back.”

May leaned in, resting her head against Georgia’s. “That’s not too much. That’s the bare minimum.”

Silence sat between them for a beat, but it wasn’t heavy. It was warm. Healing.

“You really don’t hate me?” Georgia asked again, needing to hear it.

May smiled softly. “No. I just hated seeing you sad and pretending you weren’t.”

Georgia let out a slow breath. “I don’t know how to start over.”

“You don’t have to,” May said. “Just start small. One step. One good meal. One walk. One day at a time.”

Georgia blinked at her. “You always say stuff like that. You sound like a grandma.”

May grinned. “A cool grandma, though.”

Georgia laughed, a real one this time. Then she leaned against May, the two of them quiet again.

“I’m glad I came back,” she whispered.

“Me too,” May said, wrapping her arm around her. “Took you long enough.”

May gently nudged Georgia’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs.”

Georgia hesitated, but May didn’t wait. She took her hand and led her up the stairs. When they reached the room at the end of the hall, her old room, May pushed the door open and flicked on the light.

It was exactly the same.

Same soft pink curtains, same posters on the wall, the bookshelf stacked with old novels and photos. Her bed was still made, just like she used to leave it. Her favorite hoodie still hung on the back of the chair like it had been waiting.

Georgia stood frozen in the doorway, her eyes wide and full.

“You guys didn’t change anything?” she asked, her voice cracking.

“Nope,” May said gently. “Your dad said it would always be your room. I didn’t let them touch a thing.”

Georgia stepped inside slowly, her fingers brushing over the edge of the desk, the little glass jar of hair clips still sitting in the corner.

“I forgot how safe this place made me feel,” she whispered.

And just like that, the tears came back.

Quiet, heavy ones that rolled down without warning.

May didn’t say anything. She just walked over and pulled Georgia onto the bed, holding her like she had back when they were teens crying over stupid boys and failed exams.

Georgia leaned into her, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her cardigan. “I feel so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid,” May said softly. “You just loved the wrong guy.”

“I gave him everything, May. Every part of me.”

“I know,” she said, stroking her hair. “But he didn’t deserve any of it. And now… you’re free.”

Georgia sniffled. “Free sounds lonely.”

May leaned back against the pillows and smiled. “It can be. But it can also be good. You’re single now, Georgia. That means you can do whatever the hell you want.”

Georgia raised an eyebrow through her tears. “Like eat ice cream in bed and watch trashy shows all day?”

“Exactly,” May laughed. “And wear ugly pajamas. And cry if you need to. Or don’t cry. You make the rules now.”

Georgia let out a soft laugh, wiping her eyes again. “I think I needed to hear that.”

May nudged her with her shoulder. “You need to rest. No more thinking tonight, okay?”

Georgia looked around her old room once more. “Okay,” she whispered. “Just… stay with me a bit?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” May said, pulling the blanket over both of them.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Georgia closed her eyes, not with a broken heart, but with a friend who’d never left her side.