I video call Mrs. Lambert almost every night.
Grandma can sit up in a wheelchair now. Her eyes are clearer. Her face is no longer blank and lost like before. Her words still come out slow and heavy, but her spirit is awake. I can see it in the way her fingers move, in the way she looks at me like she recognizes everything.
Camilla hated Grandma.
And the thing she feared most… was Grandma waking up.
Lewis and I had already decided.
If a snake hides in darkness, you shine a light and make it panic.
The next morning, I woke up feeling lighter than I had in months. Grandma was coming home today. Even if this was part of a trap, I was still happy. She had always treated me gently. She was the only elder in that house who looked at me like I belonged.
If she saw how strong I am now… she would be proud.
"Lewis," I asked while looking at myself in the mirror, "is this makeup too light? I look a little pale. Grandma's coming home. I want to look my best."
