Kim’s POVThe hospital smells like antiseptic and tired hope.I sit in the waiting room with my fingers curled into the hem of my hoodie, trying not to let the buzz of fluorescent lights or the distant echo of crying children unravel me. My right arm rests in my lap, cast still intact for now, though the skin beneath it itches like it’s begging to breathe again.Erik sits beside me, flipping through a magazine he’s not really reading. I can feel the shape of his presence more than I see it—solid, quiet, grounding. He hasn’t said much since we left the apartment, but I don’t need words from him today. I just need him here.My name is called by a nurse with a kind voice, and for a second, I freeze. My legs don’t move. My lungs forget how to expand.Erik’s hand finds mine, firm and warm.—“I’ll come with you,” he says simply.I nod, and together we rise.The cast is sawed off slowly, carefully. The sound of the machine still makes my stomach twist, but I keep my eyes on Erik, who leans a
Last Updated : 2026-03-31 Read more