Meegan stood in distracted silence when I had finished my tale and gave a slow shake of her head. “I had... no idea what you would tell me when I came here... but I wasn't expecting this,” she said quietly after a long moment, her voice wavering a bit. Looking into her eyes made me realize that I had missed her too, despite our turbulent history, the loneliness of my self-imposed isolation hitting me hard. It broke out of me in one great sob, tears of sadness, relief, and regret, and I covered my face with my hands.

                She put her arms around me and laid her head on mine, consoling me like a child. “You know you can't live like this anymore, right...

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