With every passing minute, the sterile hospital waiting room grew colder, and my anxiety soared higher. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, the minutes stretching into hours. I watched the clock on the wall, its ticking sound echoing in the silence. Timothy broke the oppressive silence. "Evie, it's la
Back at the apartment, I helped Olive get settled in, her small frame looking even smaller in this unfamiliar place. She had been through so much, and I couldn't imagine the trauma she must be carrying. As I made up a little nest for her in the living room for the time being, the weight of responsib
Olive shook her head. “No.” "Not since we left the hospital,” I added. Aria gasped. “You must be starving! How about I make us some dinner, hm?” Olive piped up, "Can we have macaroni, please?" Aria smiled warmly at Olive. "Of course, sweetheart. Macaroni it is." As Aria bustled about in th
I found myself awakening to the first rays of daylight that streamed through the curtains. My eyes blinked open, and as I turned to look at the room, I saw Olive sitting on the edge of my bed, her big green eyes staring back at me. "Good morning!" she exclaimed with a bright smile, her enthusiasm
Back in the apartment, the air seemed lighter after my conversation with Timothy. I couldn't help but smile as I saw Olive as she bounced her legs on the couch. Once she spotted me, she sat up and ran to my side. "I can’t believe Uncle Timothy lives right next to you!" she said, her excitement evi
Olive's birthday was already off to a chaotic start. I had spent the morning gathering the last-minute supplies and decorating the apartment, ensuring it was a magical setting for her sleepover celebration. As I walked up the stairs to our apartment, the scent of the freshly baked birthday cake waft
He turned to me, snorted. "What?" "I didn't get Olive a birthday gift. I completely forgot somehow." Timothy sighed dramatically. “Well, that won’t do. We can't let her birthday go by without getting a present from everyone, including us." “You’re absolutely right,” I responded, playing along.
The toy store loomed before us, a kingdom of childhood dreams. Colorful displays filled the large windows, and the sound of laughter and excitement reached our ears even before we stepped inside. We entered the store, and the magic of the place washed over me. As we walked down the aisles, our foo