Callie’s POV
The first day arrived with an almost uncomfortable clarity, as if the world had decided to remind me that no matter how far I had run, no matter how many decisions I had made without fully understanding them, life didn’t pause to give me time to process—it simply kept moving with a nearly cruel indifference, forcing me to adapt or be left behind.
I stood in front of the store with that persistent feeling of pretending normality, of playing a role I was only beginning to understand—but one I needed to hold onto firmly if I wanted any of this to work.
I took a deep breath before stepping inside, feeling the air fill my lungs with a calm that wasn’t entirely real, but at least enough to keep me steady.
“You can do this,” Bellona murmured, her voice not entirely convinced.
“I
