Dominique stood in the corner of the room, his arms crossed, his heart pounding. He watched as his mother carefully peeled back the gauze.
The skin underneath was red, angry, raw, and healing. But it was smoother and much flatter than before. The deep ridges that had once defined the scar were gone. The twisted tissue had been replaced by something new. Something that, in time, would fade.
Dominique's eyes widened. His breath caught in his throat.
Hazel looked at her reflection in the small mirror Kaelani held up. Her breath caught.
It wasn't perfect. The redness would take months to fade. The skin was still tender and still healing. But for the first time in years, she could see a future where her face wasn't defined by the scar.
Tears slipped from her eyes.
Kaelani gently wiped them away. "No crying," she said softly. "It'll sting."
Hazel nodded, swallowing hard. She blinked rapidly to hold back more tears.
