The first rays of dawn crept through the curtains, casting a soft glow over Alliah’s bedroom. Her laptop hummed quietly on the desk, screen glowing with the email notification that had arrived late the night before. She had been too exhausted to read it immediately, the lingering soreness from her surgery and days spent responding to messages from her readers weighing on her.
She sat upright, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and clicked the notification. Her heart skipped a beat as she read the words carefully:
"Dear Ms. Torralba, we are delighted to inform you that your manuscript has been nominated for the prestigious National Digital Literary Award. Your story has touched the hearts of our judges with its honesty, depth, and warmth. We would be honored to invite you to the vir
