I am in love with you
You set me free
I can't do this thing called life without you here with me
'Cause I'm dangerously in love with you
I'll never leave
Just, just keep loving me the way I love you loving me
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"Mrs. Oswald!" Aaliyah called out as she ran towards the woman. The Williams girl had stopped by the hospital once again in hopes of seeing Tristan when she ran into Tristan's mother. "I was wondering if I could see Tristan?" Aaliyah asked once she reached the woman, slightly out of breath.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Tristan's asleep right now," Mrs. Oswald said gently. "This is the first time she's slept without waking up screaming."
Aaliyah's face fell, but she quickly recovered. "Okay, can you give her this for me?" she asked, holding up a Pino gift bag that contained a small bear, some candy, and a couple of teen magazines. She handed the gift bag to Mrs. Oswald, along with a piece of paper with her number, scribbled on it. "I believe I can connect with her. I know what it's like... my step... my stepfather used to do it to me."
Mrs. Oswald's eyes widened with a mixture of shock and empathy. She reached out and placed a comforting hand on Aaliyah's shoulder. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that, dear. I'll make sure Tristan gets these and knows she has someone to talk to."
Aaliyah nodded, swallowing hard. "Thank you. I just want her to know she's not alone."
Mrs. Oswald's expression softened even further. "I appreciate your kindness, Aaliyah. You have a good heart. I can see it means a lot to you."
"It does," Aaliyah admitted quietly. "I left out a lot of details, but... I never got real justice for what happened to me. If I can help Tristan even a little, it might make a difference."
"You already have," Mrs. Oswald said, squeezing her shoulder gently. "I'll tell her you stopped by and that you're here for her. It means the world to me and to her."
Aaliyah gave a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Oswald. I'll keep checking in, if that's okay."
Aaliyah turned to leave, feeling a mix of emotions. As she walked away, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, she could help Tristan find the strength to heal in ways she was still trying to herself.
As Aaliyah made her way out of the hospital, she was deep in thought about her conversation with Mrs. Oswald when she accidentally bumped into someone heading inside.
"I'm so sorry," Aaliyah apologized, looking up to see who it was. To her surprise, it was a familiar face from her criminal justice class. "Hey, aren't you in my criminal justice class? Michelle, right?"
Michelle smiled, recognizing Aaliyah as well. "That's right. And you're Aaliyah. You hang out with Kelly, who's on the dance team with me."
Aaliyah nodded, a bit taken aback by the unexpected encounter. She and Michelle had never really talked much beyond the occasional, "Do you have a pen?" or "Can I borrow your notes?" It was a pleasant surprise to see her here.
