Several months later, we finally booked another flight to Seattle. Walking back through airport security made my stomach tighten, but this time I refused to let fear control our lives.
Ryan came to see us off before we boarded. He hugged me tightly, apologized once more, and promised he would never again let someone manipulate his trust.
As our plane climbed into the sky, Lily laughed while looking out the window, completely unaware of how close we had come to losing everything that day.
Holding her hand, I realized something my father once told me was true. Real family protects you, respects your boundaries, and never tries to take love by force. That lesson was worth more than anything we left behind
