Vanessa smiled faintly but didn’t respond immediately. She took another slow bite of fruit before speaking. "It’s been... hard. But I’m trying to stay positive. I just want to get better."

"You will," Anabel assured her. "You are strong, Vanessa. And you have me and Sylvester here to take care of you. Just make sure you adhere to the doctor’s instructions and don’t push yourself too hard."

Vanessa nodded again. "I will."

For the next several minutes, Vanessa continued to eat the fruit salad slowly, pausing every so often to adjust her posture or to make it seem as though she was in discomfort.

Once it was ten minutes, Vanessa...