Chapter 22

"She gave you time," the lawyer said. "If she had moved faster, she might have won."After the lawyer left, he went to the backyard again. The girl was there, sitting on the stone path, drawing in her notebook. She looked up when she heard the wheelchair."Nine days," he said.She nodded. "Then today, we walk farther."He stood up and began walking along the path again. His steps were still slow, but they were more stable now. The shaking was less violent. His legs still felt weak, but they no longer felt empty. He walked past the tree this time: ten steps, twelve, fifteen. He stopped and held onto the garden wall, breathing hard."You are walking now," she said."Yes," he replied. "I am."He turned and carefully walked back toward the bench. When he sat down, he looked at his legs and shook his head slightly."For months, I thought my life was over," he said. "But the truth was, someone was just pressing pause on my life."She sat beside him quietly. "Do you hate her?" the girl asked after a moment.He thought about that question carefully. "No," he said finally. "I don't hate her.""Why not?" she asked."Because hate is heavy," he said, "and I need all my strength to stand."The girl nodded slowly, like she understood.That evening, something unexpected happened. He was in the hallway near the stairs when he heard her voice in the living room. She was on the phone, and she sounded different: not soft and caring, not warm and gentle. Her voice was sharp, impatient."I told you already," she said quietly but angrily. "After the wedding, everything transfers. The board will follow my recommendation once the doctors confirm he's permanently disabled. I just need a little more time."He stopped moving and stayed very still, listening."No," she continued. "He doesn't suspect anything. He can barely stand. He still thinks the medication is helping. Just make sure the documents are ready."He felt something cold move through his chest again, but this time it did not feel like fear; it felt like certainty. He rolled quietly back to his room before she could see him.

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