The other apprentices looked at me in a new light after my surprising return, though I do not believe they were altogether happy to see me. I also think my fierce outburst from the prior year had left them a little hesitant to push my patience, lest they again release my demons. I grew even stockier or stouter or huskier or however nicely you would say it: I got a tad fatter. Gabriella’s food only tasted that much better as I became more present to life. Of course, this did not go unnoticed or without endless comments from Markus and especially Noel, which sent them tittering and laughing like schoolgirls. Nonetheless, I went about my duties with renewed vigor and continued to advance in my skills and knowledge. Thankfully I had lost some of my single-minded obsession, which allowed me to see the world again for its beauty and possibility. Sarah was in no small part a glorious object of that awakening. Now that I was more aware of my surroundings, it also meant that I felt more of the sting from my fellow apprentices jibing.
