Hidden Flames - Chapter 53: Chapter 53

The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow over the room where Debbie lay. The air was still, heavy with the scent of flowers and the quiet hum of life outside. Yet within these walls, time seemed suspended—a fragile bubble holding the weight of love, loss, and the final moments of a story that had spanned years.
Debbie’s illness had been a secret she guarded fiercely, a shadow she carried alone. The diagnosis of chronic cancer had come months before, a silent battle waged in the quiet spaces between public life and private pain. She had chosen not to tell Cory because of the period they had issues between themselves and fearing the burden it would place on the woman she loved, and the family they had fought so hard to rebuild.
But secrets, no matter how well kept, have a way of surfacing in a very sad and gloomy way.
The day before, Debbie had summoned the courage to share the truth. The conversation was raw and tender, a mixture of tears and whispered confessions. Cory’s world shifted beneath her feet, the pain of impending loss mingling with the fierce love that had never wavered.