"I don't know where to start," I confessed, my voice small.
Kaelen and I remained nestled in the elaborate pillow fort I'd constructed. The nest felt secure, but the prospect of digging into my past made my stomach churn. I'd spent so many years trying to forget.
"Just start anywhere," Kaelen suggested gently. "Whatever memory comes to mind first."
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. "I remember the smell most vividly. Pine cleaner and cabbage. The orphanage always smelled like overcooked cabbage."
"How old were you when you arrived there?"
"Four, maybe five. My memories before that are just... fragments. Screaming. Running through woods. Blood." I shuddered. "Nothing coherent."
Kaelen's hand made soothing circles on my back. "You don't need to force those earlier memories right now. Tell me about the orphanage."
