Chapter 17 - The Woman in the MirrorMonths later, Clara stood before a mirror.
The bruises were gone.
But she still remembered them.
She touched her jaw.
Once, she had believed that surviving meant becoming numb.
Now she understood something different.
Survival meant becoming whole again.
She put on a simple dress.
No makeup was necessary.
She smiled at herself.
Not because everything was perfect.
Because she was still here.
Downstairs, Leo shouted:
“Mom! Grandma says breakfast is ready!”
Clara laughed.
“I'm coming!”
She walked down the stairs.
Eleanor looked up.
For a moment, the two women simply smiled at each other.
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No explanation was necessary.
They both knew how far they had come.
