Third person's POV
Liora’s grandfather had regained enough strength to stay awake for longer stretches, though his voice was still weak and his breathing shallow. Liora sat by his bedside again, adjusting his blanket and making sure his IV line wasn’t tugging against his skin. The morning light was soft, falling in slow stripes across the bed, the monitors, the chair she had slept in the night before.
Her grandfather watched her with eyes that were still sharp despite the exhaustion. He had always been able to see through her too easily. It was both comforting and, at times like this, exhausting.
“So,” he said, clearing his throat gently. “The young man who stayed with you. You say he is only a friend?”
Liora closed her eyes briefly. She had known this conversation was coming
