Chapter: The First Breath

The day was warm, with that gentle breeze that makes everything feel possible. Olivia walked through the city center in a light dress and a scarf her grandmother had once knitted for her. She wasn't in a hurry. She wasn't going anywhere in particular. She just wanted to walk. To feel the sun on her face. To listen to the sound of life around her.

She passed by a bookstore and walked in without thinking. The scent of new paper and freshly brewed coffee wrapped around her like a hug. She wandered through the aisles slowly, brushing her fingers along the spines of the books, pausing at titles that caught her eye. She wasn't looking for anything specific, but her heart knew something was waiting to be found.

A small poetry book with a pale blue cover caught her attention. She opened it at random and read a phrase underlined in ink: "Grief doesn't end. It transforms. Like love."

She smiled.

She bought the book, left the store, and sat on a bench in front of a fountain. She pulled out her phone and, without thinking too much, wrote to Merlyn and Alejandra:

"Plans for today? I feel good. I feel... alive."

She set the phone aside and closed her eyes for a moment. The wind brushed her face. And for a moment—just one—she didn't feel sadness.

She felt peace.

And in her world, that was a miracle.