My Little Secrets

Lina Moore had learned to count her life in exits.

The back door she wasn't allowed to use, because it was "for family only."

The bedroom door she closed too carefully every night, so it wouldn't creak and earn her a sharp rebuke.

The future that always seemed close enough to touch, yet far enough to vanish whenever she reached for it.

Most of her life had been about leaving quietly-leaving rooms, leaving conversations, leaving pieces of herself behind so she wouldn't be noticed. Survival, she'd learned, wasn't about being strong. It was about being invisible.

This morning, though, felt different.

Hope was a dangerous thing in her aunt's house. It had a way of being punished. Still, Lina couldn't help it.

The scholarship letter rested folded neatly inside her bag, its edges worn from how often she'd taken it out just to be sure it was still there. Still real. Still hers. A full ride. Tuition. Housing. A chance to leave this house without begging or owing anyone anything.

One medical screening.

That was all that stood between her and freedom.

As she stood in front of the cracked mirror in the narrow hallway, smoothing down the hem of her skirt with trembling fingers, something warm fluttered in her chest.

"Don't mess this up," her aunt called from the kitchen without looking at her. "People like you don't get second chances."

"I won't," Lina said softly, her voice instinctively small.

Her aunt snorted. "See that you don't."

Lina slipped her bag over her shoulder and stepped outside before anything else could be said. The door shut behind her with a hollow thud that echoed longer than it should have.

The bus ride to the hospital felt longer than it was. Lina sat by the window, her forehead resting lightly against the glass as the city blurred past. Coffee shops filled with laughing strangers. Office buildings where people walked with purpose. Couples holding hands. Students with backpacks slung carelessly over their shoulders.

People who looked like they belonged somewhere.

Soon, she told herself. Soon, that will be me.

The hospital loomed large and impersonal, all steel and glass and sharp edges. It smelled like antiseptic and something faintly floral, an attempt at comfort that didn't quite succeed. Lina joined the line at the reception desk, heart pounding as if she were about to take an exam she hadn't studied for.

"Name?" the receptionist asked, fingers already moving over the keyboard.

"Lina Moore."

The woman typed. Paused. Frowned briefly.

Lina's stomach tightened.

Then the receptionist nodded. "Take a seat. They'll call you."

Relief rushed through Lina so fast it made her dizzy. She moved to one of the plastic chairs and sat, hugging her bag to her chest like a shield.

Around her, life continued. Phones buzzed. A man argued quietly with his wife. Somewhere down the hall, a baby cried, the sound sharp and piercing. Lina focused on her breathing.

This was routine.

This was safe.

"Ms. Moore?"

Lina stood instantly, almost knocking her chair over.

A nurse in blue scrubs waved her over, already turning away. "Follow me."

They walked quickly through long white corridors that all looked the same. Lina struggled to keep up, her shoes squeaking softly against the floor.

"Um-this is just for the screening, right?" Lina asked, her voice hesitant.

The nurse glanced at the clipboard in her hand. "Yes. Everything's been cleared already."

Cleared.

The word landed strangely in Lina's chest, but she nodded. She had learned that questioning adults-especially ones in authority-usually led to trouble. Trouble she couldn't afford.

The nurse led her into a small, cold room. A thin gown lay folded on the bed

"Change," the nurse said. "We'll be back."

Lina obeyed, folding her clothes carefully and placing them on the chair. The gown was too thin, too open. She sat on the edge of the bed, feet dangling, heart beating too fast.