When I opened the door, the first thing I noticed was how striking Alek looked in red. For once, I was glad I had chosen the striped cotton dress in shades of red, paired with leggings, a black beanie, and snow boots. It wasn’t much, but it was comfortable. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a little more like myself.
Lyra’s words echoed in my mind as I had dressed: “Maybe you don’t need more time to heal. Maybe you just need new experiences to show your nervous system a different reality.”
From the bottom of my heart, I wanted life to get better. I was so tired of feeling like this—like crap, like nothing. Eating a solid meal had helped a little, but the nerves still lingered, gnawing at me.
I built up the courage to speak.
“I’m sorry for being difficult. I’m sor
