Into her overnight bag went her slippers and socks and a sweatshirt, because hospitals were always chilly. She doubted she’d have the energy to read anything, but she packed a book anyway, a lighthearted novel about three sisters on vacation in Italy. A place she promised herself she would take Zoe someday. She had to hold on to that image: her and Zoe and Ethan lounging on a beach in Italy, everyone healthy and happy and whole. If she couldn’t imagine it, then it couldn’t happen, and she needed some vision of the future. Something to look forward to.
