That is the deepest damage of what happened to her, deeper than anything physical: not that she was hurt, but that she was taught the hurt was normal, and love, and safety, and what good girls accepted.

And Wherever Rhys is — that was the first crack of light through it.

Because somewhere in her, without the words for it, Mira had understood that with Rhys and with me she felt something she had never felt at home, something she couldn’t name but could locate, a place where the air was different.

She didn’t have the word safe.

But she knew where it lived.

Chapter 18 — Kinship