“I brought you something,” he said, his tone casual but careful, as if testing how much space he was allowed in this little circle of joy. From inside his coat, he pulled out a small box, no larger than his palm. He held it out to Lily.
Her eyes widened, curious. “What is it?”
“Open it and find out.”
Lily took the box with both hands, lifting the lid eagerly. Inside lay a delicate silver bracelet, thin and light, with a single charm shaped like a star. The charm glittered under the hospital lights, catching Lily’s breath.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered. Her fingers brushed the star as though it were fragile.
Nicholas crouched slightly so his eyes were level with hers, his voice pitched low, steady. “A star for you. Because even when everything went dark, you kept shining. That takes
