At the hospital,
Liam and Charlotte arrived together to take Clara back home.
While Liam went to complete the discharge formalities, Clara remained seated in the hospital room, quietly watching Maria move around as she packed her belongings. The room, which had felt heavy and suffocating the previous day, now carried a lighter air —yet it wasn't entirely free of tension.
Charlotte stood nearby, her gaze fixed on her daughter ...
Seeing Clara looking better than yesterday brought her a sense of relief. The pale weakness that had been there on her face yesterday had eased, and her complexion had also regained some of its color. However—
Something else about her caught her attention.
The way Clara kept glancing toward the door.
Not once. Not twice.
But repeatedly.
As though she was expecting someone … or perhaps hoping someone would walk in.
Charlotte observed her for a few moments before finally asking, unable to hold herself back any longer,
"Are you waiting for Xavier?"
