Mixed Signals

The thought lingered, leaving Serena subdued.

Whenever her eyes shifted to Lydia, they remained there, weighted with longing and hesitation. Each breath her mother took felt precious and fragile.

Serena finally got up only when Kaelen appeared at the door of the VIP ward, her movements slow and hesitant.

She gently adjusted the quilt around her mother and straightened the pillows before finally ti