Clara drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
Now that she was alone, staring up at the ceiling, everything was finally clicking into place and also not.
Clara rubbed her face and looked around the hospital room. It smelled the same — sterile, sharp, too clean. The monitor beside her beeped steadily, grounding her in the moment.
She had been reborn.
That wasn't hard to figure out because she looked years younger and her sister was alive.
And of all the days to return to, it had to be the day she and her sister fell out.
She remembered it clearly—the argument about Laura, right after they'd brought her home from the hospital.
That would be tomorrow.
But this time would be different. She wasn't going to make the same mistakes. She'd been given a reason to come back — to stop being stupid. To fix what she broke. And maybe slap her best friend 1 or 2 times just for the satisfaction.
She wouldn't let Laura twist things again.
She wouldn't be stupid anymore by staying with someone who clearly hated her guts for no reason at all. Heck she may even jealous for all she knows.
She wouldn't push her sister away. And she sure as hell wouldn't lose Nathaniel all over again.
Nathaniel.
Clara wondered if he had felt sad after her death even not being together anymore — especially since it hadn't been natural. Deep down, she was sure Laura had something to do with it.
But she'd never know now.
Even when she'd realized Laura was nothing but trouble, she'd still kept her close. Maybe because she'd been too tired to care anymore. Her sister — her only family — had died, and Nathaniel had walked out not long after, worn down by her constant insistence on bringing Laura everywhere. Even on their dates. The ones that were supposed to be just them.
God, how could she have been so stupid? Who drags someone else along to their own dates? Apparently, her.
Clara let out a muffled groan into the pillow. Before she could sink any deeper into self-loathing, a soft knock sounded at the door, pulling her back to the present. But unfortunately she reached a good level of self loathe.
"I brought the Snickers and Mars chocolate too," Lily said, nudging the door open with her hip, her arms full of snacks.
Clara looked up from the hospital bed, her eyes rimmed red. "Thanks," she murmured, her voice trembling as she tried to sound normal. She turned her face away quickly, but Lily noticed anyway.
"Hey—Clara," Lily's voice softened, then turned urgent. "Why are you crying?" She set the chocolates aside and crossed the room, pulling her sister into a hug.
"I'm not crying," Clara whispered, the denial thin and fragile.
"I'm just—" She stopped, words catching in her throat. A shaky breath escaped her. "Just sorry."
Lily smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair from Clara's face. "Apology accepted. Now here—have your Snickers."
Clara gave a weak laugh, and for a second, it felt almost like old times( reallyoldtimes). But Lily noticed the difference—the quiet heaviness in her sister's eyes. Clara had been apologizing a lot lately. Maybe near-death really did change people.
"I'll come see you tomorrow, after you're discharged," Lily said, gathering her things. At the doorway, she hesitated. Something unspoken held her still.
"What?" Clara asked, brow furrowing.
Lily's lips parted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I love you."
Clara froze, meeting her gaze. There was something about the way Lily said it—like she needed her to remember.
"I know," Clara replied softly.
When the door closed behind Lily, the silence pressed in again. Clara leaned back against the pillows, her chest tight.
Tomorrow.
She just had to wait for tomorrow—before everything began to change.