First message
The sound of tiny footsteps echoed through the apartment before a little voice called out “Mommy!”
Naomi smiled immediately, setting down the groceries she’d been unpacking before kneeling to catch her daughter in a hug. It had taken years to build this life after walking away from a relationship that nearly destroyed her. It wasn’t perfect, but it was peaceful.
Standing, she glanced toward Luna with a cautious but genuine smile.
“Sorry,” she laughed softly. “She thinks every time someone comes over they’re here to play with her.
Her daughter peeked around her leg with wide, curious eyes.
“I don’t trust people easily anymore,” Naomi admitted after a moment
“But… I’m trying.”
It wasn’t a dramatic confession. Just the truth.
Because after everything she’d survived, learning to let someone in again felt far scarier than leaving.