Something quietly broke inside Mariana’s chest—not grief, but the buried memory of the woman she had once been.
Daniel showed her the faint surgical scar near his collarbone and explained that it had always reminded him that someone had fought for his life when everything seemed hopeless.
A moment later, two familiar voices called her name.
Laura and Andrew, her former surgical colleagues, hurried across the lobby.
Laura practically threw herself into Mariana’s arms in a tight hug.
“I can’t believe you’re standing here!” Laura cried.
Then her expression turned cautious. “Mariana… I came to your house twice after the funeral to check on you.”
Mariana blinked. “What?”
“Alejandro met me at the door both times,” Laura said quietly. “He told me that any mention of the hospital or medicine triggered severe panic attacks for you. He asked us not to come back.”
Andrew nodded. “He told me the exact same thing over the phone when I tried to invite you to the alumni dinner.”
