CHAPTER 219 THE AFTERMATH

MINERVA It was a difficult decision, but I finally returned to Aperture without my mother. Although it was a decision I made and stood by, I still felt the heavy guilt weighing heavily on my chest as I stared out the window on my flight home. Meredith sat close to me, fast asleep, as different thoughts raced through my mind. Would it be wrong to tell my dad everything? This was a recurring question in my thoughts. To the best of his knowledge, my mother was on vacation. After all, I was unsure of how to maintain my composure and control my emotions. "You've already sighed about fifteen times," I heard Meredith rasp, "and I just started counting." As if to prove her point, I breathed out again and then looked away from the window to focus on her. "I'm just worried," I said. "Because of your mom?" I nodded. "That's in addition to the fact that I don't trust myself to keep anything secret." Meredith took my hand and squeezed it presumptuously. "You did the right thing, best friend