The small envelope with the plane tickets sat on the table between Stephanie and Maya.
Neither of them had slept well for two nights.
The decision felt too big.
Finally, on the third morning, Maya broke the silence.
"I think we should go."
Stephanie looked at her.
"You're really sure?"
Maya nodded slowly.
"We came here with nothing. We didn't even know where we would sleep that first night."
Stephanie remembered that night clearly.
Cold.
Scared.
Lost.
"And somehow we survived," Maya continued. "Maybe this is just the next step."
Stephanie looked down at the tickets again.
France.
A new country.
A new life.
Maybe even a chance to forget the past.
She took a deep breath.
"Okay," she said quietly.
Maya's eyes widened.
"Really?"
Stephanie nodded.
"We'll go."
For a moment the two girls simply stared at each other.
Excited.
Terrified.
Then Maya suddenly remembered something.
"The keys."
Stephanie froze slightly.
Rosa's shop keys were hanging on the wall near the counter.
Neither of them had thought about that part yet.
"We can't just leave," Maya said softly.
Stephanie nodded.
"We won't."
That afternoon they closed the eatery early.
Stephanie carefully locked the door for what might be the last time.
The familiar click of the lock made her chest tighten.
They walked to the small house where Rosa was staying before leaving the city.
When Rosa opened the door and saw them, she smiled warmly.
"My girls," she said. "Come in."
But Stephanie gently shook her head.
"We just came to return something."
She placed the shop keys in Rosa's hand.
Rosa looked confused.
"Why?"
Maya glanced nervously at Stephanie.
Stephanie spoke slowly.
"We've been offered an opportunity… to travel and work somewhere else."
Rosa looked at them carefully.
"Somewhere else?"
"France," Maya said quietly.
Rosa's eyes widened slightly.
"That's very far."
Stephanie nodded.
"I know."
For a moment Rosa said nothing.
Then she sighed softly and closed her fingers around the keys.
"I knew this day might come," she said.
"You girls were never meant to stay in that little shop forever."
Stephanie felt tears sting her eyes.
Rosa stepped forward and hugged both of them tightly.
"You are brave girls," she whispered.
"Just promise me something."
"What?" Maya asked.
"No matter where life takes you… protect each other."
Stephanie nodded quickly.
"We will."
Rosa pulled away and looked at them one last time.
"Then go," she said gently.
"Go see the world."
As Stephanie and Maya walked away from the house, the evening sun painted the sky orange.
Neither of them spoke.
But both of them knew one thing.
The life they had known in that small eatery…
Had just come to an end.