Chapter 9 - THE UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER
Ten years later, I was in a bookstore in Denver. A young girl, about ten years old, was struggling to reach a book on a high shelf. Her hair was light brown, her eyes a deep, intelligent blue—Elise’s eyes.
I froze.
The girl turned, and our eyes met. She didn't know me. She had never known me.
Then, a woman walked up behind her. She was older, lines of wisdom etched into her face, her hair styled in a way that spoke of a life lived with purpose. Elise.
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She looked at me, and for a moment, the world stopped. She didn't look angry. She didn't look afraid. She just looked... finished.
She reached out, took the girl’s hand, and they turned to leave. She never said a word. She didn't have to. The look in her eyes told me everything: I survived you. I thrived in spite of you.
