IHM-XXXV

ELISA SMITH

Daylight broke too early for me, and it felt like I had barely slept at all last night. My mind was consumed with thoughts of my biological family, a family I had never known, a family that had apparently kept me hidden from my siblings. I couldn't help but wonder why my parents had never wanted me to be a part of their family, and why my existence had been a secret even to my own siblings.

Why did my life have to be like this? Why did I have to endure so much pain, while it seemed like everyone else had lived an amazing life? These questions haunted my restless mind as I lay in bed, silently wrestling with the emotions that had been stirred up by the day's revelations.

Nikolai stirred in his sleep, and I shut my eyes to pretend I was still asleep. His hand gently rubbed my shoulder in a comforting manner, and I couldn't help but feel a rush of gratitude for his presence in my life.