The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the cracked sidewalk. Emily leaned heavily on her crutch, her breath shallow but steady. The small town square was unusually busy, the chatter of people and clinking of café cups filling the air. She was headed to the bakery—her favorite place since childhood—when she noticed him.
Jason was walking ahead, his tall frame relaxed but purposeful. Emily had known him once, before the accident, before the world had tilted beneath her feet. She swallowed her nerves and called out softly, “Jason.”
He didn’t turn.
Taking a slow, painful step forward, she tried again, louder this time. “Jason, please.”
He stopped but only briefly. As she reached out to steady herself on her crutch, he glanced back, eyes cold. Without warning, he reached out and knocked her crutch aside as if it were nothing more than a fallen twig.
The crutch clattered against the pavement. Emily staggered, panic rising, but she caught herself on the bench nearby. Jason didn’t pause—he kept walking, leaving behind a silence that was louder than any words.
Emily’s hands trembled as she picked up her crutch. Her eyes burned—not from the sting of his rejection, but from a quiet determination. This time, she wouldn’t fall.
She took a deep breath, adjusted her grip, and started walking—stronger and steadier than before.