(Lydia)I told myself to be as calm as possible, but my heart wasn’t as quiet. I had a steady resolve to stay strong for Mama, yet as I looked at her frail hands, trembling slightly as she buttoned up her blouse, my throat tightened. She was trying her best to keep herself together, and I knew this quiet strength, this relentless determination, was what had gotten her this far. But today, even as she kept her gaze steady, there was a hint of fear in her eyes. It was a look I hadn’t seen in Mama very often, and it nearly broke me.“Here, let me help,” I murmured, moving to her side and gently buttoning the last of her blouse. Her fingers dropped to her lap, where they twisted and turned the edge of her sleeve, a nervous habit she’d had since I was little. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and felt her lean into me. Her body felt smaller, almost delicate, as though years of strength had whittled down into this frail shell. But she was still my Mama, still the woman who had taught
Last Updated : 2024-11-13 Read more