Few hours earlier
---
Raya paused mid-step inside the bustling mall.
Something on one of the brightly lit shelves caught her attention.
It was small… delicate.
A baby item.
Soft. Simple. Almost insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
And yet, for a brief, unexpected moment, everything else around her faded away. The constant noise of shoppers, the bright overhead lights, the weight crushing her chest, all of it disappeared.
Her gaze lingered on the tiny garment.
She hadn't even realized she liked things like that until now.
A soft onesie in pale cream, embroidered with the faintest outline of a little star. So small it looked like it was made for a doll rather than a real child.
Her fingers twitched slightly at her side, an instinctive urge rising before she could stop it.
Then she turned back.
Maybe she should get it.
