Chapter 167

DAHLIA

I straighten and push through the glass doors.

I’m familiar with the smell that hits first… antiseptic. Somewhere down the corridor, someone cries softly. Another person laughs, too loud, too forced.

Life and death sharing the same space.

I walk faster, shoes echoing against the polished floor. My hands tremble as I clutch my bag, fingers numb, nerves shot. I don’t slow down until I reach the nurses’ station on my mother’s floor.

Before I can speak, a voice calls my name.

“Dahlia?”

I turn.

A nurse steps toward me, brows drawn together in concern. She’s young—kind eyes, tired posture. She looks relieved and anxious all at once.

“Yes,” I say, my voice hoarse. “I’m here to see my mom.”

She exhales. “Thank God. We’ve been trying to reach you.”

My stomach drops.

“I… what?” My throat tightens instantly. “Is she…”

“She’s stable for now,” the nurse says quickly, holding up a hand as if to steady me. “But th