It was not the kind of laughter Alicia had drawn from me in her hospital room. It was quieter and less certain.
But it was real.
The Door Opens
My first morning back at the hospital, I arrived early enough to see the corridors before the department became busy.
I stood outside the ward where I had once cared for Alicia.
The memory of her wedding returned without warning: the white scarf, the bandage rings, Nora adjusting the flowers, Alicia smiling as though she had found a small piece of the future she had been losing.
I did not regret wanting her to have a happy moment.
I regretted believing that my desire to help gave me the right to ignore a boundary I was responsible for protecting.
Both truths would have to remain with me.
A payment reminder appeared on my phone.
I glanced at it, then put the phone away.
