Lauren had spent so much time being afraid.
Afraid of losing Larry. Afraid of getting too close. Afraid that if she let herself truly love him, it would only end in heartbreak.
But today, after everything—the perfect donor, the hope that had once seemed impossible—she realized something.
Fear had stolen enough from her.
She wasn’t going to let it take this, too.
The hospital room was quiet, the excitement of the day settling into something softer, warmer. Larry was dozing, exhaustion pulling at him, but his fingers were still loosely curled around hers. Lauren watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, her heart aching in a way that wasn’t painful anymore.
It was full.
For months, she had been waiting—waiting for the worst, waiting for the pain, waiting for a reason to guard her
