"Is it too hot?"
"Perfect."
"Then eat more. You lost a lot of blood and need to rebuild your strength."
"Noelle."
"What?"
"You're so good to me. These past few days have been happier than my entire lifetime."
"Don't say that," she murmured. "Just eat."
But I noticed her ears turning pink.
At night, the pain from my wounds made sleep impossible. Strangely, I'd endured worse injuries before without complaint, but in front of her, I found the discomfort unbearable.
"Noelle, are you asleep?"
"No." She sat up from the cot beside my bed. "Is the pain bothering you again? I'll call the doctor."
"No need," I caught her hand. "Just stay and talk to me."
"About what?"
"Anything... I just want to hear your voice."
She was quiet for a moment before finally settling on the edge of my bed.
"How about I tell you about Leo?"
"Yes."
"When he was born," her voice was soft, "he only weighed five pounds. The doctor said it was because I was too exhausted during pregnancy and didn't get proper nutrition."
My heart clenched.
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't interrupt me."
"Sorry."
"When he first came into the world, he cried so loudly. The nurse said he had excellent lung capacity."
"Like me. I was the same as a baby."
"Really?" She glanced at me. "Then that's definitely like you."
"What else does he take after me?"
"Well... his nose and chin resemble yours. But his eyes are like mine—brown."
"I want to see him."
"Of course."
She pulled out her phone and showed me photos one by one. I studied each image intently, wanting to burn every detail into my memory.
