one hundred and thirteen

Ruth POV

I stood at the entrance of the infirmary, my eyes fixed on the two figures sitting in the waiting area. My parents. It had been years since I'd last seen them.

Michael's hand found mine, offering silent support.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked.

I nodded, steeling myself.

My parents rose as I approached. Their eyes, once filled with rejection, now brimmed with tears.

"Ruth," my mother whispered, her voice trembling.

My father took a step forward.

"Ruth, sweetheart, we're sorry," he said.

Sorry.

The word echoed in my mind.

Too little, too late.

"You disowned me," I said, my voice flat. "You left me to fend for myself."

My mother's face crumpled.

"We were wrong," she sobbed.

My father's eyes pleaded.

"We didn't understand," he said.

Understand?

They never tried.

"You didn't care when I was molested by our own pack," I spat.

My mother gasped.

"Ruth, we—"

"Don't," I cut her off.

"You didn't protect me. You didn't love me."

My father's face contorted in anguish.

"We love you, R