Since this tragedy, Hazel had gradually closed in on herself. His relationship with food had become unstable. His bedroom door remained closed from morning till night.
That evening, when she came home empty-handed, she turned the key in its lock and declared in a faint voice: "I won't go to the ball, mamma. Stop fighting for it. »*
Her mother collapsed in the hallway, crying silently, sitting on the floor.
Eli, 17 years old, with no experience — but with unfailing determination
A few days later, there was a knock on the door. It was Eli, the discreet boy who lived two houses away, Hazel's best friend since their college days. He held a small notebook close to him, visibly intimidated—yet something in his eyes didn't waver.
