Yuna sat staring vacantly out the car window as Nick's dad loaded her single suitcase into the trunk. She was finally leaving the hospital, but felt numb rather than relieved. The doctors had warned her caregivers that she would likely struggle with depression after her suicide attempt.
Nick's family had cleared out their spare bedroom and stocked it with flowers and Yuna's favorite snacks to welcome her. But as she lay down on the cozy bed that first night, Yuna felt undeserving of their effort and care after everything she had put them through.
The first few days, Yuna aimlessly wandered the house like a ghost when she wasn't lying in bed. Well-meaning questions from Nick's family overwhelmed her, so she began avoiding them as much as possible. The pain was still too near the surface to put into words.
She could barely choke down more than a few bites at meals as her anxiety made food taste like ashes. At night, she lay stiffly awake until early morning light rather than face the nightmares waiting behind her eyelids.
Nick did his best to give Yuna space while making sure she knew he was there. He would read quietly nearby so she didn't feel alone with her difficult thoughts. Some days he left a cookie or flower on her nightstand to brighten her environment even a sliver.
When Yuna emerged from her room one evening for dinner at Nick's gentle urging, she halted seeing concern etched on his parents' faces. They made room for her at the table without comment, but their silence felt suffocating.
Overwhelmed, Yuna mumbled an excuse and hurried back to her room. As she picked tearfully at her comforter threads, Nick appeared with a sandwich. "Want to eat on the porch? Just us?" he asked.
Small acts of kindness like that sustained Yuna as she continued struggling to find solid emotional ground in the early days and weeks. Nick patiently bore the burden with her, never demanding more than she could withstand.
On bad days when Yuna couldn't get out of bed, Nick would squeeze her hand or hum quietly until she fell asleep. Even just sensing his steadfast presence nearby could calm her frayed nerves when nothing else could.
Nick's devotion and care slowly lifted the fog of depression for moments at a time. Yuna knew the path forward would be long, but Nick's friendship gave her the first small sparks of hope to keep fighting through the darkest days.