Page 55 of Once Upon A Second Chance

We’re reviewing post-op instructions with Mr. Delgado when it happens again.

A car backfires in the parking lot.

The bang is sharp, unexpected.

Penny jerks so hard she nearly knocks over a tray of gauze.

Mr. Delgado startles. “Lord, what was that?”

“Backfire,” I say quickly, steadying the tray before it tips. “Old Ford, probably.”

Penny’s breathing is shallow. Her knuckles are white on the countertop.

I nudge her gently. “I’ve got this. Go check on the supply delivery, okay?”

She blinks. Nods. Disappears down the hall like she’s chasing oxygen.

Mr. Delgado eyes me. “She all right?”

“She will be,” I say, hoping it’s true.

She’s in the storage room fifteen minutes later when I find her—alone, arms crossed, one foot tappingout a frantic beat against the linoleum. Not crying. Not falling apart.

Just locked in that space between calm and collapse.

I close the door behind me.

“Hey.”

She doesn’t look at me. “I’m not falling apart.”

“I didn’t say you were.”

She swallows. “I hate that he still gets in my head like this.”

“You’re allowed to feel what you feel, Pen.”

“I know. But I still hate it. I was involved with Travis for about half a minute—until I saw him for what he is: a bully and a coward.”

Silence settles between us, heavier than usual.

I move slowly—no sudden movements—and sit on the edge of a crate across from her.

“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Least of all to me.”

She finally looks at me, green eyes rimmed in tiredness and frustration. “He used to do this thing… show up out of nowhere, kind of threatening, and make it seem like I was being dramatic if I got scared. Like I was crazy for reacting.”

“You’re not crazy.” My voice is steady, but my blood’s boiling.

She exhales. “My brain knows that. My body’s still catching up.”

A pause.

“I didn’t want you to see this side of me.”

I reach for her hand. “This is part of you. That means I want to see it.”

She presses her lips together like she’s holding back tears—or something worse. “What if he shows up again?”