"TWELVE ROSES" | Chapter 10: December 21 | Forgiven

Daily Chapter from December 12- 25 Christmas

Chapter 10: December 21 | Forgiven

The apartment was still, the low hum of the heater the only sound as Anna sat on the edge of her bed, the morning light soft against the walls. Nine roses stood proud in the vase on the kitchen counter, their presence both comforting and unsettling. Each one seemed to carry a message she hadn’t fully embraced but couldn’t ignore.

She rested her hand on her womb, her thoughts drawn again to the baby. The reality of it pressed closer every day, insistent and unavoidable. It wasn’t just the physical sensation—it was the haunting pull of the decision she still hadn’t made. The truths from the roses lingered in her heart, quietly urging her forward, though the fear of her inadequacy felt louder.

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When she opened the door, the cold air bit at her skin, sharp and relentless. She stepped onto the landing, her eyes immediately finding the tenth rose. Its vivid petals rested on the black mailbox, vivid against the frost. She reached for it, her fingers brushing the cool stem, its delicate weight grounding her in the stillness of the moment.

And then, before she unfolded the note, it was as though a small light pierced the shadowed corners of her soul, revealing both the depth of the darkness she had been living in and the existence of light she hadn’t dared to hope for. It was like fumbling in a vast, uncharted cavern—hands brushing against cold stone, searching blindly for an exit—when the faintest glimmer broke through a hidden crack. Not blinding or overwhelming, but gentle and sure, it was enough to awaken her to the possibility of something beyond. Beyond the words. Beyond the roses. Beyond herself.