LOGIN[Elena]One week later..."You seem so happy today," Cassie nudged me just as we stepped into the mall.My lips stretched into a wide smile.Who wouldn't be as happy as I am?Darian woke up fully the next day, right after Asher called me to the hospital, and ever since then, according to the nurses, he's been sleeping and waking up like every other child.And do you know the sweetest part of it?The day I stepped into the hospital room again, knowing he was awake, with my heart thumping hard and my chest squeezing, thinking of a way my son would react to me being close.He smiled.God, he stared at me and smiled.I sat near him and he couldn't tear his gaze away from me.He hasn't gotten very comfortable speaking. The doctor said it would take him a while to regain his voice, but his eyes alone. God his eyes, the way he didn't stop staring at me.And just when I wanted to leave yesterday evening, right after I put him to sleep, he woke up, and tears were all over his eyes.I had to s
[Asher]My grip tightened around the steering wheel until my knuckles ached, every muscle in my body drawn tight.My jaw locked, teeth grinding together. I swallowed, my Adam’s apple bobbing painfully.I felt terrible.No—terrible didn’t even come close to describing it.I squeezed my eyes shut, but it didn’t help. Her face was still there, sharp and unforgiving, burned into the back of my eyelids. The disgust in her eyes was unmistakable.I caught every little detail.The way her shoulders stiffened the moment I mentioned our son. She looked like she wanted to throw up, like the words alone made her sick. Like if she could rip that part of her life out and discard it without a second thought, she would do it in a heartbeat.She looked like she wouldn’t waste even a single minute on me if fate hadn’t cruelly tied us together.For a brief second, my thoughts betrayed me, drifting backward.Back when Elena smiled at me even when I gave her nothing to smile about. Back when she would si
[Elena]"Oh my goodness!" I gasped.The paper cup slipped from his hand, spinning uselessly in the air for a split second. Hot coffee splashed down the front of my dress, seeping into the fabric and splattering across the tiled floor.The heat shocked the air out of my lungs. For a moment, everything else disappeared."Shit—are you okay?" the young man blurted.He reacted on instinct, fingers closing around my wrists as he gently pulled me out of the spill before I could even think to move. Almost immediately, like he realized what he was doing, he let go. His other hand fumbled into his pocket and he pulled out a folded towel, pressing it into my hands."I’m so sorry," he said again, voice rushed, unsettled. "Are you okay?""It’s fine," I murmured, though my heart was still racing. I took the towel, pressing it uselessly against the damp fabric. "It’s just… really hot." A small, breathless chuckle slipped out as I tried to dab at the stain, already knowing it wouldn’t help.He wince
[Elena]I stared at the Asher standing in front of me, the same person who had called my name with urgency only to fall completely silent the moment I turned around.The air between us felt heavy. Uncomfortable.If he had anything important to say, he wasn’t saying it."If you don’t have anything to say," I muttered finally, my voice low, restrained, "then I’ll take my leave. Just like I said earlier."I had already begun to turn when his voice stopped me again."It’s about Darian."My body froze.The sound of his name pulled me back instantly, yanking me out of myself. I turned slowly, my eyes moving to the hospital bed on instinct before returning to Asher."And what about him?" I asked, quietly this time.Asher cleared his throat. His tongue dragged over his bottom lip in a nervous gesture that didn’t go unnoticed. Only then did I really look at him.He looked terrible.Wrecked.Like someone who hadn’t slept in days. His eyes were swollen, dark circles sitting heavily beneath them,
[Elena]"He woke up when I called earlier," Asher said quietly the moment I stepped into the hallway. "But he fell asleep again."The words hit me like a soft blow to the chest.Awake.Asleep again.I stared at him for a second, like my mind needed time to catch up, before my gaze drifted to the guards standing behind me. "I’ll take it from here," I whispered.They nodded immediately, stepping back without question, giving me space.I drew in a shaky breath and followed Asher down the hallway.Each step felt louder than the last. My heart thudded so hard against my ribs it almost hurt, like it was trying to escape my chest and run ahead of me. The hospital lights blurred slightly, not because they were too bright, but because my eyes were burning.This would be the first time.The first time I’d see him properly since the Transplant.No glass separating us. No distance. He was no longer in isolationI could feel Asher’s gaze on my back as we walked, heavy and unreadable, but I
[Elena]A breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding finally slipped out of me the moment the call ended.It left my chest shaky and uneven, as if my lungs were only remembering how to work again.My hand moved to my chest on its own, fingers pressing hard against my heart as if I needed to steady it, to keep it from bursting right out of my ribcage."Thank goodness," I whispered, my voice breaking as I squeezed my eyes shut. The words came out like a prayer. Like a plea finally answered."I should go see him… I need to see him."I needed to see him with my own eyes. Needed to know he was real. Awake. Alive."Elena?" My mother’s voice cut in gently, but it still startled me. "See who? What’s going on?"I opened my eyes slowly and looked at her, standing just a few steps away. For a second, it felt like my brain lagged behind my body—I had completely forgotten she was there.I opened my mouth to speak.Nothing came out.My throat tightened painfully, emotions crowding my chest all a







