Fragile Hope    

[EVE]

 

I blinked, half-convinced that I was still dreaming. "Can I help you?" I asked, my voice groggy and laced with confusion.

 

The older woman stepped forward, her smile growing wider and trembling with emotion. "You must be Eve," she said softly, her voice polite and gentle, but laced with something more—an unshakable certainty. "We've been looking all over for you."

 

I frowned, confusion swirling in my chest like a rising tide. "Looking for me?"

 

The moment those words left my lips, the woman burst into tears. Without warning, she stepped closer and pulled me into a tight embrace, her arms wrapping around me like she was trying to shield me from the world.

 

"Eve! Finally! Finally! I've found you! My daughter!"

 

My entire body froze. Her words echoed in my ears, but they didn't make sense.