Raven's POV
The day went better than I could have ever imagined—better than anything I had allowed myself to hope for. In truth, I had woken with a quiet dread coiled in my chest, expecting cold stares, whispered judgments, or worse, complete indifference. Instead, after the communal breakfast, I found myself welcomed—gently, almost cautiously—by the laundry team.
They were all women. That alone startled me more than anything else.
For the briefest of moments, a thought slipped into my mind so unexpected that it nearly made me falter where I stood: I could have friends.
The idea felt fragile, like spun glass—too delicate to hold for long without shattering. Yet it filled me with a strange, buoyant warmth. Friends. People to speak with, to laugh beside, to share whispered gossip with as the day stretched on. I had seen Lilian do it countless times—effortless laughter, easy companionship—and I had always watched from a distance, never once believing such a thing could belong to me.
