More Than Ready

***Hazel***

Everything felt unreal. Like I had slipped into a dream so vivid my senses couldn’t decide whether to trust it or fear waking from it.

One moment I had been curled on Brooke’s lap, my face buried against her thigh while she stroked my hair with patient, soothing motions. She had whispered quiet reassurances into the heavy air, telling me everything would be alright. Telling me she bel