CLAIRE
I woke up to sunlight streaming through the window and the smell of coffee drifting down the hallway. For a moment, I just lay there, my body heavy and my eyes swollen from crying the night before.Then I remembered: the grief, the tears.
My hand moved to my stomach automatically, the gesture becoming familiar now, and I took a deep breath.
Today was a new day and I had to keep moving forward. I got out of bed slowly and walked to the bathroom, wincing when I saw my reflection. My eyes were puffy and red, my face pale and drawn.
There was no hiding that I'd been crying.
I washed my face with cold water and brushed my teeth, trying to make myself look more human and less like I'd spent the night falling apart. It didn't help much.
I pulled on comfortable clothes and walked out t
