Practice being without him

She squeezed her toy lightly and went quiet while staring out to the other side of the room. She let her thoughts go over everything back home and everything that had happened at the Madonna Inn.

Annie opened her mouth, then closed it. She hesitated. She tried to push the word out. She struggled.

"Peter?" She finally said awkwardly.

She tried not to reveal that saying his name rather than his formal title hurt, but her eyes gave it away. Saying his name out loud felt like a blow to her chest. She forced herself to push through it.

"Can we still.... be friends?"