Caroline fell silent for a moment. Her eyes stared at the coffee cup in her hands, as if searching for answers there. Then she spoke softly, "I'm scared of believing. Of opening up. Of being wrong again," she said, shaking her head briefly.
Amelia remained quiet at the confession—Caroline rarely, almost never, spoke of her fears like this. Narrowing her eyes slightly, Amelia guessed hesitantly, "James?"
Caroline nodded slowly. "London. Rain. A goodbye without farewell," she replied, her eyes blank, as if reliving those darkest days.
Amelia reached across the table to take Caroline's hand. "You never told me how much it hurt."
Caroline shrugged indifferently. "Because I didn't want you to feel like you had to save me. I needed you to stay strong and keep going. Life has to move forward, right?"
Amelia tightened her grip. "You've always been the strong one. But you don't have to carry everything on your own, Caroline… you have me, and we can share the weight together."
