She dressed carefully, professionally. She went to work. She did her job.
Each day, she learned how to carry herself differently, how to shield her heart, how to be both softer and stronger at the same time. The fire didn’t disappear, but she learned how to walk through it without letting it consume her.
Because Lena was no longer just surviving for herself.
She was surviving for two… or so she thought.
--
Lena sat on the edge of the examination bed in her doctor’s cabinet, her paper gown crinkling softly every time her body trembled, because no matter how hard she tried to steady her breathing, the anxiety refused to leave her chest.
The room smelled faintly of disinfectant and lavender, the lights were too bright, and the quiet hum of medical equipment made everything feel unreal,
