Jia knew that kind of anguish all too well,
the kind of pain that made you want to shrink
in on yourself, just to try and get away from everything
that made you remember.Squatting down to sit next to her, Jia moved to do
the only thing she knew was best right now. To put
an arm around Lydia–and hold her friend tight.“You’re right, you will be fine. You’re okay. Take a breath.”
➳Someone else’s presence during these episodes was
foreign to her. When Lydia had been lucid enough, she
could hear her parents outside her room, but they’d never
crossed the threshold, never stood by her side.
In spite of herself, Lydia leaned into her friend–another
foreign, unfamiliar word–body tensing as she choked
back a small sob.
❝Th-thanks. No o-one’s bothered b-before, y’know?❞