Hazel’s POV
I lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, my mind a tangle of thoughts. The room was still and quiet, a rare moment of calm that I clung to.
My body ached with exhaustion, not just the kind that came from a long day but the deeper, more consuming weariness that had settled into my bones over the years. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to will myself into a brief escape from the weight of my own thoughts.
But the peace was abruptly shattered when the door to my room flew open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang.
"Lila!" I sat up quickly, startled, my heart racing in my chest.
But there she was, standing in the doorway with the biggest smile I’d ever seen on her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling with a joy so contagious that I couldn’t he
