Bright, hopeful eyes that still held traces of the vibrant woman I remembered from before all this began. A smile—God, a genuine smile that made my heart stutter—and the way her body unconsciously leaned toward mine, as if some invisible thread kept trying to pull us closer together. It was only then that I recalled the text I’d sent her, and I silently cursed myself for not warning her this was bad news. For letting her walk in here, carrying that beautiful, fragile hope.
