Emily's POV
The mansion looked the same as always when I arrived...imposing, beautiful, utterly unchanged. But I felt different. Raw. Like my skin had been stripped away, leaving every nerve exposed.
I paid the driver and walked inside on unsteady legs.
Maria was in the kitchen, and I could hear Nurse Mary's voice down the hallway. Normal sounds. Normal life continuing like I hadn't just nearly been flattened by a car.
I saw Nurse Mary carrying Mom's breakfast tray toward her room.
"Mrs Hawthorne!" She smiled when she saw me. "Your mother was asking about you earlier. I told her you'd gone to drop Lily at school."
"I stopped by her room before I left," I said, my voice sounding distant to my own ears. "She was still sleeping."
"She had a good night." Nurse Mary adjusted her grip on the tray. "I'm just taking this up now. And I was in the kitchen refilling her water pitcher."
I nodded, not really processing the words. Everything felt muffled, like I was underwater.
