Six months later, Adalyn found herself in front of the mental institution for the third time.

She told herself that this one would be the very last time. She couldn't keep coming back here. It probably wasn't healthy for either of them, not to mention that it was really expensive to travel all the way over here from the US.

After her last visit-that-wasn't-really-a-visit, Adalyn had tried to accept it as some sort of sign that she shouldn't see Brahms again and had gone back to her life in Maryland. But as much as she tried, it was impossible for her to ignore everything that happened, and she decided that she needed to go back one more time and finally put everything behind her.

Adalyn signed in at the front desk and walked back to Brahms's room.

When she slowly stepped inside, Brahms was once again facing away from her, but he was now wearing one of his own sweaters overtop the white scrubs that all the patients wore. At least he seemed to have one familiar thing from his old life.

"Brahms?" she said quietly. "It's Adalyn."

Brahms made no move to turn around. Was he really never going to look at her again?

"I know it's been a long time since I was here last. I came a second time, but Greta was here too and we couldn't both see you. Did she…come in?"

Still no answer. At least he'd talked to her before, even if it was to tell her that he hated her.

"They told me that you've been adjusting really well. That's good to hear. I…was worried about you."

Nothing.

"Um…I started a new job recently. It pays a lot better and I actually really like working there. I also have some pretty awesome co-workers. It's been nice. A lot less stressful than the last one I had. Also, there's something I thought you might want to know. Do you remember how one of those guys got away? He was arrested last month. He's not going to be able to hurt anyone else."

Brahms remained as quiet as ever.

Adalyn sighed. "All right, well, I guess you don't want to talk to me, so…I'll just…leave then."

Maybe it was better if he didn't say anything. Maybe then it would be easier to walk away from all of this.

She started back towards the door when she heard a very soft voice say, "Adalyn."

Despite herself, Adalyn quickly turned back around at the sound of Brahms's real voice. "…Yes?"

"What I did…it was wrong, wasn't it?"

"It's…not really that simple, but in the grand scheme of things, kind of, yeah."

After a really long pause, Brahms very slowly turned around to look at her for the first time. "I'm sorry."

Adalyn now clearly saw the painful burn scars on his face, and she realized that it didn't look nearly as bad as she remembered. Seeing his real face in the middle of such a stressful situation had apparently made it seem worse than it really was.

Without his mask, he looked much less like a serial killer and much more like a regular human. She wished that he'd taken off his mask while she'd been with him.

His apology sounded so genuine, but Adalyn could only think that it was unnecessary. Brahms had never actually hurt her the entire time she'd been inside the mansion, and all of his weird behavior had mostly been the result of his parents' incredibly poor decisions.

"I'm sorry, too," she told him. "I know I promised that I wouldn't look at your face, and that I wouldn't leave. And…I'm sorry you're here instead of in your home."

Brahms nervously bunched up the bottom of his sweater in his fists. "They're nice to me here. They don't make me hide."

That was a relief. There were so many horror stories surrounding mental institutions both in fiction and reality that she'd been terrified that Brahms was being horribly mistreated.

"You know, it wasn't all bad," she confessed. "Protecting me from those three guys, taking care of me when I was sick, our dance…I didn't really mind all of that." She reached inside her bag and pulled out a teddy bear. "And this little guy. I've kept it all this time. It…makes me feel safe when I get scared." She took a couple very small steps towards him. "They said it was okay for me to give it to you. In case you needed it to feel safe too."

Brahms shook his head. "No, I want you to keep it. So…you don't forget me."

Adalyn smiled a little. "Trust me, you don't have to worry about that ever happening. But I thought you might feel that way, so I brought you this too." She pulled a small stuffed smiling penguin out of her bag. "This is Paulie. Paulie the Penguin. He was my best friend when I was a kid, and…he and I decided that it was time for him to be with you now. If you want him."

Brahms slowly reached out to take the stuffed penguin from her.

"He's really important to me, so you'll have to take good care of him."

"I…I will."

"Good."

"Adalyn…I don't…I don't hate you."

Adalyn couldn't help smiling. She knew it shouldn't feel so good to hear him say that, but it did.

"I…saw Greta."

"You did?"

"Yes."

"We met. She told me what happened."

"She was still scared of me."

"Oh."

"I didn't mean to scare her."

"I know."

"Were you scared of me?"

"A little."

"Are you still scared?"

"No."

Adalyn stepped closer to him and then very slowly and carefully hugged him. Brahms froze and it took several moments for him to realize what she was doing. Then ever so slowly, his arms came up to wrap around her.

He hugged her so lightly, like he was scared he might break her if he hugged her any tighter. She felt so small against him, but the difference didn't feel nearly as intimidating as before.

They stayed that way for a long while, neither one moving or speaking.

Adalyn finally pulled back and smiled at him. Then she slowly reached up and gently rubbed her thumb over the burn scars on his face. "You look nice."

Brahms very slowly put his hand over hers. "I do?"

"Yes."

The door to the room opened and one of the employees said, "Ma'am, your time is up."

Adalyn let her hand drop from his face. "Good-bye, Brahms."

She started towards the door.

"Adalyn," Brahms called softly. "Will you…ever come back?"

Adalyn took a deep breath. This was supposed to be the last time she ever saw him. This was supposed to be the visit where she put everything that had happened behind her and moved on.

And yet, she still found herself answering, "Yes. I promise."

Because she knew that no matter where she lived or who she dated or what she did with her life, a huge part of her was forever connected to him. She would never be able to forget him or turn her back on him or pretend that those five days of her life never happened.

"Because we're friends?"

Adalyn smiled. "Yeah. We're friends."