The sky was clear.He was walking toward her. The sunlight reflecting on him made him seem almost pure, and the way his eyes caught her gaze filled her with wonder.
Please... let this hope be real...
she prayed in her heart.
As he drew closer, he stopped. The light no longer reflected on him, and instead, a shadow seemed to envelop his presence. Her surroundings grew cold and dark by the shadow of tall trees. For a moment, Hanna felt fear deep into her heart. He reached out, took a strand of her hair, twisted it around his fingers, and let it slip away gently.
"Don't fear me... it will be better that way" he said in a low voice.
For days after their first meeting, he didn't return. She assumed he wouldn't come back. Sitting quietly on her bed, reading a book, she raised her head to find Isla, the director of the care home, standing by the door.
"Hanna, may I have a moment to speak with you?" Isla asked with a warm smile. She was a kind woman in her mid-50s, and Hanna respected her greatly.
"Of course," Hanna replied, placing the book to the side.
"How are you doing? You haven't been outside in the garden lately, the one you used to love so much. Is anything troubling you?"
"No... it's nothing. I'm fine. It just takes a lot of effort to move from the bed to the wheelchair and back," Hanna lied. Moving back and forth was tiring, but that wasn't why she hadn't gone out. She simply couldn't find joy in it anymore.
"Still, there are people here who can help you. You shouldn't stay locked up in this room all day. Besides, those days aren't far off when you'll be able to walk on your own again, Hanna" Isla said warmly, giving Hanna's hand a gentle squeeze. Hanna's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"How? I mean, how is that even possible?" she asked, her mind struggling to catch up.
"You haven't heard? Ah, so you don't know yet. Your cousin, Ethan Williams, came by yesterday and said he's willing to help our care home by making a donation. You know how we've been struggling without funds for months now. We lack good doctors and staff to care for everyone here. I thought I'd have to close this place, which I never wanted to do."
"Huh? W-wait... my cousin? You're saying Ethan is my cousin? Did he tell you that?" Hanna asked, her confusion deepening.
"You didn't know? Yes, he told me yesterday that he's your only guardian. He said he wants to help you recover. When I told him we don't have the resources or proper doctors, he offered to donate."
The realization hit Hanna—Ethan was her family. So was Ava.
"With this generous donation, you'll be able to walk again, Hanna. I thought you'd be left alone like this, but I'm happy to see that you now have someone to rely on," Isla said, patting Hanna's back before leaving the room.
Hanna lay down, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought.
"he's the only family I have? Is there no one else besides him? What if he leaves me?"
"No... if he wanted to leave, he wouldn't have come. He helped me. I won't let him go... I won't be alone anymore"she told herself, trying to quiet her anxieties.
She reassured herself that everything would be fine now. After all the painful days she'd endured, there was no need to be afraid anymore. She smiled, but it wasn't a smile of pure happiness, nor one of sadness. It was the joy of someone still tangled in worry.
She didn't want to draw any conclusions just yet—because anything could still happen. Placing her hand over her worried racing heart, she tried to calm herself.