Alice's POV
The voice said, "Your mother has regained consciousness."
I couldn't wait to see her right now. My mind was already in that room, already at my mother's bedside.
When I pushed open the door, I stopped breathing.
She was awake. My mother lay propped against white pillows, her eyes open—truly open—for the first time in years. Her face was pale, thinner than I remembered. But her eyes were clear.
"Alice." Her voice was weak, barely a whisper.
I crossed the room in three steps and fell to my knees beside her bed. "Mom," I choked.
Her fingers brushed against my cheek, trembling but real. "I'm here." My mother held my face in her hands and let me cry.
When I finally pulled back, she was smiling. Weak, but genuine. "They told me someone arranged everything," she said slowly. "
