Respect Earned
Later that night, after the guests had gone, Victoria entered the kitchen. Instead of reprimanding Emily, she poured two glasses of wine and slid one across the counter.
“You saved us tonight,” she said quietly. “Why do you stay? Everyone else runs.”
Emily met her gaze. “Because I don’t run when things get hard.”
Victoria studied her for a moment, then smiled — small, reluctant, but real.
