"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength."
- Arnold Schwarzenegger

The call had come in the middle of the night, as they always seem to do. In a haze, Isak reached for the screaming device on his nightstand, squinting at the name that came up on the screen. It was his mother. Given that their communication was at a bare minimum while they were in the same city, it was even rarer for her to call at such a random hour while he was an ocean away. He could feel the pounding of his heart in his chest, could feel it echoing in his head.

After what felt like an eternity, he slid the bar across the screen to answer the call. Tentatively, he brought it to his ear.

( Hallå? )

Word Count | 886