The clock in Tessa's small, dimly lit apartment ticked past midnight, its steady beat a cold reminder that time never stops, even when you wish it would. She sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers clenched around her phone, its screen dark after the call that had just ended. The words still echoed in her mind, each one like a needle piercing her hope.

"We're sorry, but we had more qualified candidates," the voice on the other end had said. "We appreciate your interest, but we can't offer you a spot in the nursing program at this time."

It was over. Tessa stared at the ceiling, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to overflow. But they came, hot and relentless, streaming down her cheeks. She had worked so hard, scraped together the money for application fees, taken extra shifts at the diner, and studied late into the night. All for this one chance. This one opportunity to make a better life for herself, to escape the grayness that seemed to cling to everything around her.

But now it was gone. The rejection email would arrive in her inbox by morning, confirming what she already knew. It felt like her last thread of hope...