Madeline squeezed the bedsheets, her lashes trembling as she forced her eyes open.
There were people crowded all around her bed.
Nervously, she blinked, her eyes searching each face, one by one.
She spotted Shelly first, then Noah and Oliver, their faces beaming with hope. Brenda was there, too, and Luke. Even her two uncles, who were always teasing her and stirring up trouble, had come. In the very back, Casey watched her quietly. They were all there, everyone, watching her anxiously.
Following their gaze, Madeline looked down at her hands. She opened her palms and stared at them, her eyes huge, completely dazed.
“Madeline?”
“Mommy?”
“Madeline...”
Shelly's voice edged with panic as she turned to the doctor. “Doctor, what’s going on with her?”
“Mom!” Madeline’s voice broke through her own shock. Suddenly, those bright eyes focused on Shelly.
Shelly’s response was instant, her face lighting up with relief. “Madeline, can you see?”
Madeline nodded eagerly. “I can see, Mom. Noah, Oliver, Brenda, Luke, both uncles... and...” She looked toward the back, a smile reaching her eyes. “Casey. I can see all of you now.”
In that moment, every face around her lit up with pure joy.
Noah and Oliver couldn’t wait another second. They practically launched themselves at Madeline, Brenda joining in, all three knocking Madeline back onto the pillows in a tangle of hugs and laughter.
“This is amazing, Madeline!”
Tears pricked Madeline’s eyes. After living in darkness for a whole year, being able to see again felt unreal, like maybe this was just a dream.
Three days after the bandages came off, Madeline was finally allowed to leave the hospital. Shelly double-checked with the doctor, making absolutely sure Madeline’s eyes were really okay, before she let her daughter return to the Capital.
The airport was alive with energy, people weaving in every direction. Madeline held tight to Noah and Oliver’s hands, Luke trailing just behind them as they made their way out together.
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