Chapter 216
The first rays of dawn were painting the sky a pale, watery blue as I finally left the hospital. The city was just beginning to stir, the streets slowly filling with the sounds of early morning traffic. I felt like I was moving in slow motion, my body heavy with exhaustion, my mind still racing with the events of the night.
As I drove home, I replayed the night in my head, reliving every moment of fear, doubt, and triumph. The faces of the children, their small bodies fighting for survival, were etched into my memory. I knew that I would never forget them, that they would forever be a part of me.
When I walked through the door of my apartment, the smell of ginger and herbs hit me first, followed by the sound of my mother's voice.
"Alayna, what happened? Your face is pale like a ghost."
She was standing in the kitchen, her hands stained with turmeric, a half-chopped ginger root on the cutting board in front of her. She rushed towards me, her eyes filled with concern.
