Lucy came back into the room holding a warm heating pad for my back. “Are you alright, Mr. Miller?” she asked gently.

I leaned back against the cushions, adjusting my arm on the pillow as the afternoon sun warmed the room. The pain in my ribs was still there, sharp and persistent, but inside my chest, a long-standing weight had finally lifted.

“Yes, Lucy,” I said, offering her a genuine smile. “For the first time in a very long time, I think I am.”