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"C'mon..." I mutter to myself in frustration, trying to get the picture on my screen exactly how I want it to look. Blake brought my laptop to the hospital a few days after I got my camera so I could edit all my pictures on it. 

At first, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. But these long, boring hospital days led me to watch a bunch of online tutorials about Photoshop and editing. They're definitely better than when I started, but I'm not so confident they are anything above mediocre. 

Blake says I have a natural talent for it and that all my photos are amazing, but I think he might just be saying that because he loves me and doesn't want me to give up on something that cures so much of my boredom.

Blake also stepped up to make my time in the hospital much more comfortable recently. He brought me new pillows, a sleep mask, more books, a diffuser, my lavender soap from home, and even a TV. The hospital's TV is small and so old it's almost black and white. Technically, we're not allowed to have personal TVs here, so when Margaret isn't the nurse on shift, Blake hides it behind the couch.

A knock on the door pulls me away from my editing. I turn my head to see Ashley, Justin, and Lily entering my room.

"Elena!" Lily squeals, running over to my bed to hug me.

"Remember to use your inside voice, sweetie. There are sick people in rooms nearby trying to rest," Ashley reminds her softly.

I greet them all, giving Lily a big hug before inviting her to sit next to me on the bed. "Are you excited, Lil?"

She hops up, careful to not lean too much into me. "I'm so excited! When does it start?"

"In about 15 minutes," I smile, hurrying to finish my picture.

"What are you doing?" Lily asks, curious, as she looks at the picture of flowers on my screen.

"I'm editing some pictures I took," I tell her. I continue when Lily looks puzzled. "Editing is just making a picture nicer to look at— brightening the colors and detail," I explain.

Lily nods, her gaze shifting to her parents on the couch across from us. "Dad, we need popcorn! We can't watch without popcorn!"

Justin chuckles and gets up from the couch. "I'm not sure if they have any here, but I'll check the cafeteria."

As Justin leaves, Ashley turns to me. "So, Elena, how have you been feeling? It's been a couple of weeks since we saw you."

I close my laptop. "Not too bad. The doctors think I can start physical therapy on my leg in a week or so. But I'll still be in a wheelchair for a while."

"Can I sit in your wheelchair? Black can push me around in it too!" Lily giggles. 

"No, definitely not," Ashley chuckles. "It's not a toy, Lil."

Lily pouts, but I reassure her that it's not nearly as fun as it seems.

We chat for the next few minutes, discussing about how excited we are for Blake and Noah's big night. I wish Olivia could be here too, and she tried to stay back with me, but I wouldn't let her. 

To my surprise, Justin returns with popcorn around ten minutes later. "They didn't have any in the cafeteria, but they had some on the children's floor of the hospital, and Margaret got me a couple of bags."

"Yay!" Lily cheers, taking a bag from her dad and immediately digging into it.

"Is it on yet?" Justin asks, glancing at the TV.

"Just about," I mutter, feeling impatient and turning up the volume. "Oh wait, here it is! I think it's starting!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, football fans across the nation, welcome to the most anticipated event of the year—the 2023 NFL Draft! I'm your host, and we are coming to you live from the heart of the action. This year promises to be an absolute game-changer, as we unveil the next generation of superstars."  I suck in a sharp breath, looking at the massive crowd of fans being shown on the TV coupled with the intense music playing.