A few days passed, though nothing about that time felt easy.
The change came gradually, settling into my body in ways I couldn’t ignore. Movements that once required focus started coming naturally again, the strain easing little by little until it stopped controlling every step I took.
I rolled my shoulder slowly, testing the movement. It responded smoothly this time, though I still held myself back from pushing too far.
On the surface, it looked like I was recovering.
That didn’t mean I understood any of it.
Anita lingered at the edge of my awareness, distant and inconsistent, like she was trying to return but couldn’t fully reach me. Sometimes I caught the faintest brush of her presence before it disappeared again.
I stopped trying to force it.
The pull never left either.
It stay
