Emily’s POV
Today was a wonderful day — one of those rare ones that made me forget the mess I had been through.
Zariah had surprised me in the morning with a neat stack of folded clothes. Soft fabrics in colors that actually suited me — pastel blues, warm creams, a hint of blush pink. She said she’d picked them herself. I couldn’t even remember the last time someone went out of their way to do something like that for me. It made my chest warm in a way I couldn’t explain.
The air outside had that crisp, early-evening bite to it when Dalton insisted we do a little “mobility practice” for my ankle. I groaned at first, mostly for show, because deep down I was curious to see if I could actually take a few steps without feeling like my bones were grinding together.
Dalton stood close, watchi
