Ava stood in front of the mirror longer than she needed to.
Steam still clung faintly to the glass from her shower, blurring her reflection just enough that she could pretend she didn't recognize the girl staring back at her. She lifted her hand and wiped the surface clean with her palm, forcing herself to really look.
She looked… better. Not healed or whole, but better.
Her hair was still damp, hanging loose over her shoulders and darker from the water. Her face no longer looked as hollow as it had that morning. The redness around her eyes had faded, and though exhaustion still lingered in the shadows beneath them, it wasn't as sharp as before. She had changed into a simple dress, nothing fancy, nothing that screamed effort, but it fit her properly, hugged her shoulders instead of hanging off her like borrowed fabric.
She exhaled slowly.
For the first time in days, she didn't feel like crawling back into bed and disappearing.
That alone scared her.
