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Jessica felt her chest tighten when she heard her words. Too many emotions, too much sudden pain… And all of it was directed at her.
— I don’t... I didn’t mean to... — Jessica fell silent, her voice breaking mid-sentence. She couldn’t explain what she meant. — I just wanted to say that you’re... different now. You’re stronger, you made it out of that hell you went through, you fought through all of it and came out a winner. And I’m really, really proud of you, Emma. I’m proud of you because you’ve changed. I’m proud of my best friend. But this ‘Mark’... you’re not him anymore.
It seemed like the anger dropped for a moment, but then, in the next instant, Emma felt all that rage slam into her chest, and it felt like something inside her snapped.
— Jessica, you... Why are you saying all this? Why?! — Emma felt something snap inside her. First, it was hurt, and then it felt like some heavy, ominous shadow hung over her soul. Thoughts kept spinning in her head, and each one stabbed her heart like a knife. Jessica had said exactly what she feared hearing. "Have I really become that different?"
Her mind suddenly got flooded with thoughts that had visited her time and again, but always stayed in her head, and now, like an avalanche, they hit her with full force. What if she wasn’t Mark anymore? What if it would be better and right to stay Emma? The anger was still with her, but no longer at Jessica—it was directed at herself.
She caught a glimpse of Dan standing off to the side, fists clenched like he was ready to intervene, but silent. His eyes held a strange look, full of indescribable pain, and suddenly she felt all the fury that had built up in her shift onto him.
— And what the hell are you silent for, Mr. "I-know-everything-better-than-Emma"?! — Emma yelled, her voice breaking from anger — Why aren’t you supporting Jessica?! You’ve always said I’m Emma, that I should be Emma, that some jester messed with my head, right?
Jessica, overwhelmed by desperation, grabbed her hand, squeezing her fingers tightly as if trying to stop her hurricane. Emma nearly pulled away, ready to keep going, but when she saw Jessica’s face—her tears, her confusion—something in her heart suddenly tightened. She froze. The fury that had been aimed at Dan vanished in an instant, like a rain mark on hot asphalt. Her heart ached with pain and regret.
— Jessica... — she whispered, her voice soft, almost imperceptible. But Jessica didn’t let go of her hand. She held it tight, as though trying to hold onto the moment when their world seemed to be falling apart.
Dan, who had stood aside all this time, not intervening but clenching his fists, finally spoke. His voice was quiet, but there was a weight to it.
— I thought you would decide for yourself, Emma, — he said, his words pressing down on her chest despite the softness of his tone. — I stayed quiet because this is your decision, not mine. Even if it hurts... even if I want you to stay the way you are now, even if every time you push me away, I feel like I’m losing you... I can’t interfere. It’s not my life. I thought you would... choose. Because I... because I love you, Emma. I just want you to be happy, no matter who you are, who you become... or who you were before. I... I couldn’t force what’s right on you. This is your choice.
Emma froze, her heart pounding faster. Dan’s words, spoken so quietly, but with such heavy meaning. She felt every single one of them sink into her like a knife. It was like she’d been running in the dark all this time, and now someone had turned on the lights. Feelings she hadn’t been able to think about, hadn’t been able to admit to herself, suddenly came rushing to the surface. He loved her. He just loved her. No matter who she was or who she’d become. And that was too much for her, too much.
She felt her hand, still clenched in Jessica’s, begin to tremble.
Jessica’s gaze was full of tears and confusion in that moment. But there was also determination. It was the moment when everything they had been through, everything that had changed in their lives, had to come together in one crucial choice. Emma felt her own heart tighten as she looked at Jessica.
At that moment, the little man in the cloak softly spoke, barely audible, as if he was right next to them but invisible to both. His voice was light, almost imperceptible:
— It seems Jessica has finally found her desire.
Jessica slowly raised her eyes to Emma, her heart beating faster, her thoughts tangled like threads in a knot. The words seemed stuck in her throat; she couldn’t immediately grasp what this was—her decision, the moment of truth, or just some incredible coincidence. But there was something in Emma’s eyes that made her feel like she had to be honest, like she had to say exactly what she truly felt.
— I... — Jessica exhaled slightly, her eyes glistening with tears. — I want you to be happy, Emma... No matter what happens, who you are, or who you were. I want you to be happy.