Chapter 9 - The Harbor Clinic
The outskirts of Thessaloniki were a mosaic of sun-bleached concrete, olive groves, and ancient stone walls overlooking the harbor. The vehicle David hired navigated through narrow streets crowded with market stalls and scooters before stopping outside a modest, two-story whitewashed building with a blue cross painted above the entrance.
The air smelled of sea salt, diesel fuel, and wild oregano. Outside the clinic, dozens of families waited under canvas awnings—mothers holding infants, old men with weathered faces, children kicking battered soccer balls across the dusty yard.
David took Lily’s hand as they stepped out of the car. He wore simple linen clothes now, leaving behind the dark suits that had felt like armor in Eleanor's world. Lily clutched his fingers tightly, her eyes wide as she observed the bustling, unfamiliar environment.
Marcus, who had arrived a day earlier to verify the location, met them at the clinic gate. "She’s inside the second ward, finishing a post-op checkup. I haven't told her you’re here. I thought it best coming from you."
May you like
David nodded, his throat dry. He looked down at Lily. "Are you ready, sweetheart?"
Lily didn't answer with words; she simply straightened her shoulders, let go of David's hand, and reached for the small, folded envelope she had carried in her pocket since leaving New York. It was the last letter Clara had written, the one Lily had saved from the laundry floor.
