Chapter 18
The morning sun peeked through the small cracks in Julia's window, gently warming her face. She hadn't slept much—her dreams were filled with echoes of her grandma's voice and the soft humming that used to soothe her to sleep.
She sat up slowly, clutching the tiny ribbon her grandmother once tied in her hair. It was worn out now, a little frayed at the edges, but still holding a part of her soul.
Downstairs, her mother had already left for work. Julia sat alone at the breakfast table. But today… something felt a little different.
She picked up her pen and opened a fresh page in her notebook. This time, she didn't write about sadness. She wrote about a memory—her grandmother's laugh on a rainy day, her warm hands holding Julia's after she scraped her knee, the way she used to say, "Even the sky cries sometimes, but it always smiles again."
And for the first time in what felt like forever, Julia smiled. Just a little. Just enough.
It didn't last long—but it was real.
And that was enough for today.