untroubled by the grime of reality.

I felt the world tilt. The exhaustion vanished, replaced by a surge of adrenaline that tasted like copper in my mouth.

Cliffhanger:

Just as I took a step back, intending to hide, to flee, to process this impossibility, Lily saw him. Her face lit up with pure, unadulterated joy. She didn’t see the betrayal; she only saw her father.

“Daddy!” she screamed, breaking away from my grip and sprinting down the aisle.