Lily POV
When we settled inside again, my uncle pulled me int for another hug as if he still couldn’t believe I was here in person.
When he finally pulled back from the hug, tears were streaming down his face. His hands trembled as they clasped mine, and the raw emotion in his eyes made my throat tight. I could feel and see the sincerity in his eyes. This was all so alien to me. The fact that someone could cry just from finding it was so difficult to believe.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm so—so sorry, Lily."
I bit the insides of my mouth to stop myself from crying. “So sorry it took me this long to find you. Harriet would never have forgiven me. I've failed you. I've failed my sister. I—" He let out a sharp breath, his fingers tightening around mine. "She entrusted me with everything, and I—" He let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. "I’ve betrayed her memory.”
