The kitchen was alive with the sound of Chris’s laughter, bouncing off the walls as I chased him around the island counter. The scent of freshly brewed coffee hung in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of dew-kissed grass drifting in through the open window. The soft, golden glow of the rising sun bathed the room in a warm, inviting light.

I felt a surge of energy coursing through me, a stark contrast to the lethargy that plagued me the past few days. I wasn’t completely back ...