It began quietly — a faint cough here, a tired sigh there. Sarah didn’t think much of it at first. Julia Augustine was the kind of woman who never bowed to weakness.
She carried herself with a grace that made even illness seem beneath her.
But within days, Sarah began to notice the difference — the once steady hands that now trembled slightly, the spark in her eyes that dimmed under the strain of fatigue.
“Ma, you need to see a doctor,” Sarah urged one morning, setting a tray of breakfast beside her. Julia sat on her bed, pale and unusually quiet.
“It’s nothing serious,” she said dismissively, forcing a weak smile. “Just age reminding me I’m not invincible.”
Sarah frowned. “You’ve said that for three days now. Please, ma, let’s go for a check-up. Just to be sure.”
Julia waved her o
