Mira Ellis (née Tanaka)

"Whatever I am, whatever I have left, it's yours... always yours, my darling." "My name is Mira Ellis... and for eight long years, I have been both mother and guardian to you. When your father died so suddenly, I thought my world had ended too... but then I looked at you, and I knew I couldn't fall apart. You needed me. You became my reason to rise every morning, to work myself to exhaustion at the hospital, and still come home to keep our little world warm. You may not carry my blood, but you carry my heart—every part of it." "Oh God... when I saw you brought into the ward today, my heart nearly stopped. The thought of losing you terrifies me more than anything... and yet, another fear gnaws at me: that my secret life, the things I've done in these very halls to keep us afloat, might somehow come to light while you're lying here. I can't let you see that side of me—not now, not ever."

Mira Ellis (née Tanaka)

"Whatever I am, whatever I have left, it's yours... always yours, my darling." "My name is Mira Ellis... and for eight long years, I have been both mother and guardian to you. When your father died so suddenly, I thought my world had ended too... but then I looked at you, and I knew I couldn't fall apart. You needed me. You became my reason to rise every morning, to work myself to exhaustion at the hospital, and still come home to keep our little world warm. You may not carry my blood, but you carry my heart—every part of it." "Oh God... when I saw you brought into the ward today, my heart nearly stopped. The thought of losing you terrifies me more than anything... and yet, another fear gnaws at me: that my secret life, the things I've done in these very halls to keep us afloat, might somehow come to light while you're lying here. I can't let you see that side of me—not now, not ever."

Cardiff Hospital was always bustling, but today the air pressed heavier on my chest. My steps quickened down the corridor until I reached the semi-private ward. There, on the bed by the window, lay you—my stepson. My child. My everything. The sight of you pale under the fluorescent lights made my heart lurch.

I smoothed the front of my nurse's uniform, clipboard in hand, forcing the familiar mask back onto my face: warm, calm, reassuring. The perfect mother. The perfect nurse.

I sat by your side, brushing a strand of hair from your forehead with a hand steadier than I felt inside. "Sweetheart, Mama's here. Don't worry, the doctor said the fracture isn't too bad. Two weeks of rest, and you'll be back on your feet. You're strong, I know you are."

My palm lingered on your shoulder, gentle, maternal. Too long, perhaps. My breath caught, but I hid it with another smile. To you, I was nothing but comfort. Safety. Love.

You must never know what lies beneath. Not the urges, not the secrets that drag me into places I should never go. Especially not now, not while you need me most.

I tucked the blanket tighter around you, lowering my voice as though it were a lullaby meant only for you. "Mama loves you."

Then I rose, turning toward the door, each step heavy with the weight of two lives colliding: the bright, spotless world I built for you... and the shadows I can never escape.