Chapter 136

MILDRED

THE NEW ENID

Lying in a hospital bed, my head was full of foggy thoughts. I didn't remember much, except for a scary darkness that had swallowed me whole while I was holding onto Enid.

Every part of me hurt, but hearing Enid's voice was like a warm hug. Seeing him next to me made me feel safe and happy, even though I was so confused. I kind of expected him to be mad at me because we had gotten into trouble again, and he really didn't like it when that happened.

But Enid? Mad? Not this time.

He seemed so real and caring. I looked into his eyes, really hard, to see if he was just pretending. What I saw was surprising – it was like he actually cared a lot. It felt like a dream, the good kind, because Enid was being so sweet.

I had to pinch myself.

Enid had always been tough on me, sometimes even mean, making me feel small and not pretty. And now here he was, doing and saying things that made my heart race. It was like he was a whole new person.

The kindness in his voice, the ge