At first she'd been so busy with healing herself and learning what needed to be done to help her grandfather that she'd hardly noticed the loneliness. As the weeks wore on and her physical pain faded, she'd learned to push back the darkness, to hide it away to deal with at a later time. She stayed focused on the present, moving from moment to moment with little regard for the future.

The past wasn't as easy to ignore. It came to her in the darkness of the night as withered fingers grabbing at her through her dreams. She adapted to sleeping less and less, for in sleep came the nightmares that haunted her even while she was awake.

Her mother never came, never even called. Emily's attempts to contact her had gone unanswered, phone calls never returned. When she finally did hear from her, it was through a lawyer letting her know the paperwork had been signed and the house would be sold, personal items to be offered at an estate sale, and Emily would be receiving a small portion of the sale price.

She'd spent the better part of three days discarding remnants of a life now over, thirty years of memories gathered quickly and unceremoniously. Now the house was empty, sounds playing strangely against blank walls and lost corners. When she closed her eyes, she could see perfectly the way the house had been and how it would never be again. She breathed in deeply, wanting to hold on to the warm scent of safety and acceptance, but finding it fading all too quickly.

She walked into the kitchen, her footsteps ringing loudly in her ears. Tonight would be her last night in what she'd come to feel as her only real home. The only food left in the refrigerator was a month's old TV dinner, its front obscured by a layer of frost. As the microwave hummed softly, she could no longer avoid thinking of what the future held for her. She had nowhere to go, no one to turn to- she felt nothing more than complete abandonment and isolation.

When the phone rang at the same time that the microwave signaled, Emily was certain her mind had given up on sanity. As the phone continued to ring, she realized it couldn't possibly be in her head after all. Wearily, she reached over and answered.

Emily: "Takahashi residence."
Mary: "Em?"

Emily's breath caught in her throat, her mind racing. It had been so long since she'd heard Mary's voice, yet instantly she felt a weight had been lifted.

Emily: "Mary… my god."
Mary: "Emily, I heard about your grandfather. I'm so sorry."
Emily: "Thank you."
Mary: "I'm sorry I didn't find out in time to make it for the service- I only just read the obit this morning. Did… everything go ok?"

Emily: "Yes, it was a lovely service. It's ok you couldn't make it- I'm… I'm actually really shocked to hear from you! How've you been?"
Mary: "Really good, actually. Listen, I know this is probably a bit forward of me, but… I know things haven't exactly been normal for you lately. I'm still out in Deception Pass, and I've got a lead on a photography job for you if you're interested."

Emily: "I have no idea what to say."
Mary: "Say yes. You can stay with me- I've got full run of my parents' summer place and there's plenty of room."
Emily: "Ok. When should I come up?"

Mary: "Whenever you're ready. I pulled up the train schedule since I wasn't sure if you still had a car or not."
Emily: "When's the earliest departure?"
Mary: "Looks like there's a 5:15- it has one stopover in Oregon, but is otherwise an express. It arrives in Deception Pass the next morning at… gah… 5:35AM."

Emily: "I can make that, if you don't mind picking me up."
Mary: "I don't mind at all, I just won't sleep. If you're sure you can make it, I can go ahead and book the ticket for you."
Emily: "You don't have to pay for it you know."
Mary: "Oh I'm not- I'm using my mom's credit card."

Emily: "Well in that case…"
Mary: "Ok you're booked. All you have to do is show up at the station and give them this number…"

Emily fumbled for a piece of paper and a pen, taking down the series of digits with restrained excitement.

Emily: "Well I guess now all I have to do is get a ride to the station and I'm all set."
Mary: "Don't you have to pack?"
Emily: "I've been packed for a few days, actually. This was supposed to be my last night here."
Mary: "I'm glad I called when I did, then. Oh! One other thing before I forget! I'm actually going to be having my first art show in a few days! I'm so excited you're going to be able to be there."

As they talked, it was as if everything else just melted away; like they were cut from the same soul, which years of separation and anger could never undo. For the first time in as long as she could remember, Emily felt a blossom of hope.