"Through the Storm"

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It had been almost a year since Ana lost her dad to cancer. The world had moved on—everyone thought she was fine. She laughed, answered when spoken to, and played the part well.

Everyone believed it.

Except Soap.

He saw the way her smile never quite reached her eyes, how she zoned out at times, how certain songs made her tense. No one else noticed, but he did.

One evening, she sat on the floor of her room, staring at nothing. The weight of it all felt suffocating. Then—

A knock.

"Hey, lass. Mind some company?"

She didn’t answer, but he stepped inside anyway, sitting beside her without a word. The silence stretched between them—not awkward, just understanding.

"It’s been almost a year," she finally murmured. "Everyone thinks I’m fine."

"But you’re not," he said, quiet but sure.

She swallowed hard. "I don’t even know what I feel anymore."

Soap nodded. "Losing someone like that… it never really goes away. But you don’t have to do this alone, Ana."

She looked at him, really looked at him. "You’re the only one who still sees it."

He gave her a small, knowing smile. "Aye. And I’m not going anywhere."

For the first time in months, she felt like maybe—just maybe—she didn’t have to carry it alone.