The hospital corridors had grown familiar to Alliah, yet each time she walked them she felt as though she were stepping into an entirely new battlefield. Every test, every waiting room, every quiet conversation with a doctor felt like a skirmish in a war that demanded more of her strength than she ever thought she possessed. And yet, she walked them still, her heart heavy but steady, because there was something deeper than fear guiding her — love, hope, and the promise of tomorrow.
Jamiro walked beside her, his hand lightly touching hers, as though reminding her that she wasn’t alone. Joshua trailed just behind them, clutching his mother’s bag with a seriousness that seemed beyond his years. The boy had insisted on coming with them today. He said he wanted to be strong for his mother, and
