The day I was discharged from the hospital, Briar deliberately wore an off-the-shoulder minidress to pick me up.
The cocker spaniel on her arm had already scabbed over, bright in colour, the skin beneath smooth and unblemished.
The bandages on my face hadn't all been removed yet, but there were several new injuries on my waist, shoulders and back; even bending over to pick something up hurt.
Briar leaned against the doorframe and watched me for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
"The way you look right now actually suits those gaudy tattoos all over your body.
"With your face burned like this, even if it heals later, it'll probably scare quite a few people, won't it?"
She reached out to pull open my collar, wanting to see the design that had been inked that night.
I raised my hand to
