Clara
The smell of the hospital still clings to my skin, my clothes, my thoughts.
It's as if it doesn't want to leave, as if it stayed with me even after I walked through those doors.
I take a deep breath as I walk slowly down the hallway, leaning lightly on my mother. It's not that I can't walk alone… it's more of a strange feeling, as if my body still doesn't quite trust itself, or maybe it's me who doesn't trust it.
"Be careful, honey," my mother says softly.
I nod.
"I'm fine…" I murmur.
But I'm not, not entirely. Because there's something inside me that doesn't fit… Something I can't quite name.
We finally step outside, and the daylight gently touches my face. I blink a few times, as if I need to adjust to more than just the sun.
To reality, perhaps… And then I see him. Him,
