She stood on the dock, clutching her daughter to her. This was it, this was goodbye. Goodbye to the life she knew and on to new horizons. She wouldn't miss it. There was nothing to miss. No father, no mother, or at least, not the father and mother who would kiss her farewell and wish her good luck. No father, no mother, who cared in the slightest that she was leaving, not for the reasons she should. No husband, no boyfriend, no lover, no one to kiss her and hold her tight, tell her that every thing would be alright.

Not that she needed them, any of them. No, she had herself, and she had her daughter, and boarding the ship, she knew that was all she needed.