The past two days had been a struggle for Astra. She had barely spoken a word, and even when she did, it was only to answer Theron's endless attempts to coax a smile from her. He was persistent, forcing her to eat small bites of fruit, but she barely touched the food. Most of the time, she stayed in bed, feigning sleep or staring out the window, lost in thought, consumed by the ache in her chest that seemed to have no end.
But today, on the third day, something felt different. A quiet peace had settled into the room as the sun shone through the curtains. Astra hadn't noticed when her thoughts had started to clear, but the moment she heard the unmistakable sound of Theron's wail from the other room, her heart leaped in her chest.
