IRIS
The hospital corridor was a bit busier than it had been the previous night. I could not believe just after Lily had been released, I was back again. I pushed open the door to Mary's room and stepped inside. She was already awake.
The room was lit by sunlight and Mary was sitting up in bed and her face was turned toward the window. She looked different in the daylight, younger actually, somehow, despite the bruises that were still fading on her cheekbones and the healing cut on her lip.
She had a small nose, full lips, high cheekbones. She was beautiful. The kind of beauty that made you look twice, that made you wonder how someone so lovely had ended up so broken. Then she turned, and her eyes landed on me and she smiled.
“Hi,” I said quietly, stepping inside and closing the door b
