They stared at the swollen leg in stunned silence, unable to reconcile the person they loved with the distorted limb that now defined every room they entered. What had started as a faint ache had grown into a relentless, throbbing burden, turning stairs into mountains and doorways into borders. Invitations stopped coming, laughter dimmed, and even mirrors became enemies, yet still they held to a fragile, flickering pie… Continues…