Across the Glass
Victoria hesitated for a fraction of a second, the weight of her previous cruelty hanging heavy in the storm air. Then, as another loud crack of thunder shook the pavilion, she reached out and grasped Sarah’s shoulder with all her strength.
With a deep breath, Sarah lifted with her legs, bearing more than half of Victoria's weight.
Step by agonizing step, Sarah guided the injured woman across the hazardous terrace. Glass crunched beneath their sandals. The rain poured down in blinding sheets, soaking them both to the bone.
When they reached the threshold of the lobby, two hotel security guards rushed forward to relieve Sarah, helping Victoria onto a plush waiting sofa while someone called for the resort physician.
Sarah stood in the middle of the grand lobby, catching her breath, water dripping from her hair onto the polished marble floor.
Maya ran across the carpet and threw her arms around Sarah’s waist. "You helped her, Mommy! You were so brave!"
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Sarah knelt down, kissing her daughter’s wet cheek. "Everyone needs a hand sometimes, Maya. Especially when the weather turns bad."
Across the room, sitting on the sofa with an ice pack pressed against her ankle, Victoria watched them. She didn't look away this time. Her eyes were wide, brimming with unspilled tears, stripped of every ounce of arrogance.
