349 KEISHA IS FINALLY HOME

The sterile white walls of the hospital room seemed to press in on Isa, the harsh fluorescent lights adding to the starkness of her surroundings. Every beep of the heart monitor echoed in the tense silence, a constant reminder of her own fragility. Relief, a fragile thing at best, had washed over her upon seeing Emerald. The sight of her daughter, safe and sound, had been a balm to the raw wound of fear that had consumed her since waking up. But the relief was short-lived, overshadowed by the gaping absence of Luke. His name hung heavy in the air, unspoken yet ever-present. The memory of their desperate fight, the flash of the switchblade, and the uncertainty of what followed sent a fresh wave of panic through her. Emerald, nestled in Isa's side, seemed to sense her mother's distress. The comforting warmth of her daughter's small body was a fragile anchor in the storm of emotions threatening to engulf Isa. "Mommy, are you gonna be okay?" Emerald whispered her voice barely a tremor