He wanted to ask more but hesitated, especially after what happened before.

“Yeah.” Elissa offered a soft nod, keeping her smile in place. “He’s been wonderful to me.” ? ? ? ?s, ?s? s f?ndnovel.net

“I see…” A heavy silence fell over Robin. His expression faltered, and the light left his eyes. “That’s… good. You’d better get going. I have to pick up my prescription. Goodbye, Elissa.”

“Goodbye.”

Elissa took up her purse and reached for Hadley’s hand. Together, they hurried toward the exit.

Her steps were so quick that Hadley had trouble matching her pace.

“Elissa! Slow down! Elissa!”

“What is it?” Elissa seemed to snap out of it.

Once they stepped outside the clinic, Hadley caught her by the arm.

“We’re headed the wrong way. The car’s parked over there.”

“Oh, right.” Elissa followed, her thoughts clearly somewhere else.

“Elissa…” Hadley paused and looked at her with concern. “What do you want to do now? Whatever it is, don’t hold back.”

She had picked up enough of their conversation to feel the weight of it. The shock and sympathy sat heavy in her chest.

If she felt overwhelmed as an outsider, she couldn’t imagine what Elissa was going through.

“Hadley!” Suddenly, Elissa squeezed her hand tight, her face wet with tears. “I had no idea, Hadley. I never knew he was struggling like that… I just didn’t know!”

The tears kept coming, and she couldn’t hold them back any longer. “I know he’s made mistakes, but Robin’s fighting something he can’t control. He’s sick, Hadley. He’s not just at fault.”

“I get it.” Hadley nodded softly, wrapping her in a gentle hug.

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Bipolar disorder.

It was a battle that sometimes hurt everyone involved—including the person living with it.

The truth was, people everywhere carried burdens no one else could see.

Later that day, Hadley dropped Elissa off at her office.

The session with her therapist was done, but Elissa’s workday wasn’t.

“We’re here,” Hadley said softly as the car rolled to a stop.

She stepped out with Elissa and walked her to the building’s entrance. Despite the composed front, Hadley noticed the faint redness still lingering around Elissa’s eyes.

“Hey,” Hadley said gently. “Focus on work now. Don’t let your mind spiral—it wasn’t your fault.”

Elissa gave a small nod, managing a tight, grateful smile. “Thanks. I’ll head in.”

Hadley offered a quiet nod in return. “Alright.”

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