Maria.
I stretched lazily on the narrow bed, my arms reaching above my head as a soft groan slipped from my lips. Every muscle in my body protested the movement, stiff and sore, as though I had been carrying the weight of the entire pack on my shoulders. It was only when I rolled slightly and caught sight of the faint glow seeping through the window that reality struck me.
It was almost time.
The birthday celebration would be starting any moment now.
The memory of the morning rushed back to me all at once. The moment I had slipped out of Adrien's room at dawn, moving as quietly as my aching body would allow, I had gone straight to deliver food to Darren and Noah. I must have looked terrible, eyes dull, steps sluggish, shoulders drooping, because for once, neither of them had barked orders or thrown cutting remarks my way. They had barely spared me a glance, letting me leave without a word, silently granting me something rare.
Rest.
