The morning light spilled softly through the curtains, casting warm streaks across the room where Alliah sat at her desk, laptop open, fingers poised over the keys. Her wound had healed enough for her to move comfortably, and with each day, the strength in her body and spirit returned like the slow unfurling of spring leaves. The lingering pain had not vanished entirely, but it had become a gentle reminder of how far she had come—a mark of survival, resilience, and the trials that had shaped her.
Joshua sat nearby, hunched over a coloring book, his small brow furrowed in concentration. He hummed softly, lost in the vibrancy of his crayons. Every now and then, he would glance at his mother, curious and concerned, but also admiring. He had grown to understand her struggles in ways that no c
