Yuna stared anxiously at her reflection as she got ready for her first day back at school after everything that had happened. The shattered girl who had shown up bloody and broken on Nick's doorstep all those weeks ago gazed back at her.
Her physical wounds had slowly healed, but an invisible fracture inside her remained. She knew the gossip and rumors that must be swirling about her absence. Facing it all was overwhelming.
A gentle knock drew Yuna's eyes away from the mirror. Nick stood in the doorway holding out a small bouquet of flowers from his mother's garden.
"I thought these might brighten your morning," he said. Yuna managed a grateful smile. Just seeing Nick's kind face fortified her courage.
At school, the curious stares and whispers of fellow students bore into Yuna as she walked down the hall clutching her books. She kept her eyes down, feeling exposed and vulnerable.
In history class, as the teacher droned on, the room began to close in on Yuna. Her breath quickened and heart raced. She felt utterly alone. Gripped by panic, she mumbled an excuse and rushed from the room.
Blindly, she hurried to the girls' restroom, leaning heavily against the sink as sobs wracked her body. She started when the door opened, then relaxed seeing it was Nick. Without a word, he wrapped her in his arms, gently soothing away the panic until she could breathe again.
Yuna made it through the remainder of the day bolstered by Nick's steady presence beside her. That night at dinner, his parents listened as she tearfully described her anxiety about being seen and judged after everything that had happened.
His mom hugged Yuna reassuringly. "It's a long journey, but you have our support whenever those fears creep back in." Those simple words of comfort meant the world.
In the weeks that followed, Yuna slowly adjusted to being back in school. Nick helped reintegrate her into their friend group, while shielding her from nosy peers. Bit by bit, her confidence grew.
The day Yuna laughed at a joke from Nick across the cafeteria, the sound surprised her. Though tentative, it was the first glimmer that her inner light and warmth might return, given time and care.
As the seasons changed, Yuna began contemplating one final step in reclaiming her life - corrective surgery on the facial scar left from her father's last vicious attack. She was ready to erase the last external sign of abuse from her skin.
Sensing her resolve, Nick said the choice was hers alone, but he would be right by her side if she decided to go through with it. His unwavering support gave Yuna the push she needed to move forward.
On a sunny spring morning, Nick tightly held Yuna's hand as she was wheeled into the operating room. Though anxious, Yuna's heart was buoyed by a new sense of hope. She was one step closer to the person she wanted to become.