He looked at me for a moment, then suddenly reached out to ruffle my hair, and began to laugh:

"You look good, spirited. That's the real you."

I was dumbfounded but in a good way.

"Sammy, from today onwards, you're going to start over, do you hear me? Do it for yourself, not for others."

From now on, I won't live for others, but for myself.

No one has ever said such things to me.

It was only after he finished saying this that I raised my hand to gently hold his, choking back a sob as I uttered a single word:

"Okay."

"Good girl."

He was in an exceptionally...