It worked
Relief flooded through me.
I looked at Agnes, who was watching her mother with wide, terrified eyes.
I nodded once.
She understood immediately, the tension in her shoulders easing just slightly, and moved to kneel beside the chair.
"Mother?" Her voice was soft, careful. "How are you feeling?"
Sira opened her eyes slowly, blinking against the morning light filtering through the window. She looked down at her arms, at the skin that was clearer than it had been in weeks, turned her hands over to examine them.
"Different," she said, her voice hoarse but steady. "I feel... lighter? Like something heavy that's been sitting on my chest for weeks just..." She paused, searching for words.
"Lifted."
She looked at Agnes with an expression that was equal parts wonder and confusion.
"The ache is gone. I didn't realize how much it hurt until it stopped."
Her eyes filled with tears, and she reached out to cup Agnes's face with trembling hands.
Agnes's composure cracked.
