This Ends Today

***Hazel***

“Hi, Mom.”

The word mom still felt fragile in my mouth. Like glass. Like something that could shatter if I said it too loudly. I guess that's what years of trauma does to a person.

She pulled me into a hug immediately, arms thin and trembling around my shoulders. I had to fight the instinct to brace her, afraid that if I leaned too hard, she might break in my arms. She was smaller