Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

LILY

Another day, another excuse not to show up at the hospital. I couldn't bring myself to face a patient, to look them in the eyes and offer them that practiced smile, telling them everything would be fine when, in reality, my own life felt like it was falling apart around me. I was

sinking, and nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

Sprawled out on the sofa with a half-empty bottle of water, I stared blankly at the TV screen. It wasn't on-just a black void. Nothing seemed to hold my attention these days. It was hard to focus on anything, hard to care about anything after everything that had happened. Everything felt distant and surreal.

There was a soft knock at the door before it creaked open. Neo stepped inside, offering a curt nod as he always did. "Good evening, ma'am," he said, his voice as formal as ever.

I didn't even bother sitting up. I simply swung my legs off the sofa, giving him a tired nod in return. "Do you have any information for me?" I asked, my voice flat, drained.

He didn't waste any time. Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out an envelope and laid it on the coffee table. With a slight flick of his wrist, he slid out a series of photographs. I picked up one of the pictures, recognizing her instantly.

"Her name is Camilla," Neo began. "A single mother. Her husband is deceased. She's currently caring for her sick daughter, who seems to be on dialysis."

I studied the face of the woman in the picture. I remember her clearly. My fingers tightened around the edges of the photo as I asked, "What about her address? Where does she live?"

"547 Hystan Street," Neo replied. "She lives there with her daughter."

I nodded slowly, absorbing the information. I handed the picture back to him. "Continue keeping a close eye on her. If you see anything suspicious, report it immediately," I instructed. "We'll be paying her a visit tomorrow."

home soon. I

I couldn't afford to get his hopes up or make him worry for no reason. This was something I had to handle carefully, quietly, until

me and planting a soft kiss on my forehead. "Yes," I replied, leaning into his kiss, trying to let the moment settle the unease I felt building up

Neo for a beat, his brows furrowing slightly. He didn't say anything at first, but I could tell he was trying to make sense of the situation. He glanced between Neo and me before

replied quickly, trying to keep things moving

slight wave. Neo gave a small, respectful bow before

shifting slightly. He leaned in closer, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What were you discussing with him?" His voice was soft but insistent,

asked him to look into the friend who handed

shifted,

"Are you still on that?"

he was only concerned. "Elara, just give me whatever information you have, and I'll

to the face, and I couldn't help but feel insulted. I narrowed my eyes at him, my voice

with shock. "Of course not," he said quickly, as he tried to correct himself. "I just don't want you getting hurt. You don't know who these people are, and you

**************

to let him see how much his words had affected me. "You don't need to worry," I said, forcing a calm tone, even though I could

hesitate for a moment, his gaze lingering on me. "If you say so," he murmured, but there was a note of doubt in his voice. He didn't seem entirely convinced, and it only made me more determined to prove that I could

day, Neo and I headed

at her house, I felt a small flicker of hope-maybe