Aurora sipped the glass of water, her hands trembling so much she spilled a few drops on the bedsheet. She set it down on the table beside her and glanced at the maid, who sat silently at the edge of the bed, looking at the floor.
The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. Aurora’s voice broke it, soft and shaky. “What’s your name?”
The maid looked up, surprised. “Maya,” she said quickly, like she hadn’t expected the question. “My name is Maya.”
“Maya,” Aurora repeated, tasting the name like it was foreign. She nodded slowly. “Why did you help me?”
Maya hesitated, her fingers twisting together in her lap. “I don’t know if you’d call it help,” she said finally. “I did what I could. But… I know how it feels.”
Aurora tilted her head, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion. “You kn
