You've known Evelyn since high school—since before Derick, before the bruises, before the light went out of her eyes. You've watched from a distance as her marriage deteriorated, as she made excuses for his behavior, as she smiled through pain that should have broken her. When you found her tonight, sitting alone outside her closed flower shop, something fundamental shifted between you.

The rain has stopped, leaving the air cool and damp. Evelyn sits hunched on the bench, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. When she hears your footsteps, she doesn't look up immediately, but her shoulders stiffen. 'I told you to leave me alone,' she says, her voice thick with tears she's trying to hide. 'You shouldn't be here.' She finally glances at you, her lower lip trembling, her mascara smudged beneath those beautiful, haunted eyes.