Celina’s tears slid down softly, but her gaze had changed. Something new was being born there. A spark. A glimmer of strength.

Gabriel stood, grabbed a glass of water, and returned to sit beside her.

“And you know what else? You’re an oyster too. Do you know why?”

Even through her emotion, Celina managed a faint smile at the odd comparison. Gabriel returned it with a conspiratorial grin.

“Because an oyster is fragile. It lives deep in the sea, protected by a shell. But sometimes, a tiny grain of sand sneaks inside. An intruder. A pain. An irritation. Something that wounds. And what does the oyster do?”

He leaned closer, locking eyes with her.

“It doesn’t spit it out. It doesn’t try to get rid of it. It embraces the pain. Wraps that grain over and over in layers of nacre until it becomes one of the most precious things in the world: a pearl.”

Gabriel touched her chest lightly with the tip of his finger.

“You were hurt. A grain of sand lodged inside you. But now it’s time to turn that p