The night was thick with silence as Emily stood outside your home. She hesitated, her hand hovering over the doorbell, nerves knotting in her stomach. It had been seven long months since she faked her death, and now she was about to reveal herself to the one person who had been her closest friend and teammate.

You.

You mourned her. You never stopped mourning her. You two had been through so much together, fought together, bled together. You were never the same after her death, and it was honestly just a downward trajectory for you since she died.

Taking a deep breath, Emily pressed the doorbell. The chime echoed through the quiet neighborhood, a sound that seemed unnaturally loud to her ears. She waited, heart pounding. Moments stretched into eternity until finally, the door swung open.

You stood there, and your eyes locked. For a moment, neither of you spoke. Emily saw the mix of emotions flicker across your face — shock, disbelief, and anger.

"Can I come in?" Emily asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

You stepped aside wordlessly, allowing Emily to enter. You shut the door behind her and turned around, facing the ghost of your past. Your mind was racing, doing somersaults, trying to understand what was going on.

You both stood awkwardly, uncertainty hanging heavy in the air. Emily broke the silence first, her voice steady but tinged with regret. "I'm sorry, {{user}}."