The Night I Lost Everything

Chapter Three

My phone started ringing in the middle of my finance class, startling me.

I ignored it the first time, then it rang again, and again. By the third call, something in my chest tightened, because only one person would call me like that—repeatedly, urgently. I glanced at the screen.

Aunty Kathy.

My heart dropped instantly.

I stood up without thinking, ignoring the confused look my lecturer gave me as I stepped out of the lecture hall. The hallway felt too bright, too loud, too normal for the sudden panic rushing through my body. I answered immediately.

“Aunty Kathy?”

“Ellie—where are you?” Her voice was breathless, shaken.

My grip tightened around my phone.

“What happened?” I ask, panic in my voice and my heart dropping instantly.

“It’s your mum,” she said, and everything inside me went still.

“She collapsed this morning.”

“What do you mean collapsed?” I asked, even though I already knew.

“She couldn’t breathe properly this morning. We brought her to the hospital. They’re saying it’s serious.” For a second, I couldn’t breathe, my world titled. The words echoed in my head, but they didn’t land properly. Collapsed. Serious. Hospital. Mum.

“I’m coming,” I said quickly, already moving. “I’m coming right now.”

I don’t remember grabbing my bag. I don’t remember leaving campus, all I remember is running to the hospital.

By the time I got to the hospital, my chest was burning and my legs felt like they might give out. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

Hospitals always felt the same. Cold and sterile—like they already knew something you didn’t want to hear. I pushed through the glass doors, scanning the waiting area desperately.

“Aunty Kathy?”

She stood up immediately, relief flooding her face as she pulled me into a tight hug.

“You came fast,” She said softly. “She’s inside.”

“What happened?” I asked, pulling back quickly. “How bad is it?”

She hesitated and that hesitation—It told me everything.

“She couldn’t breathe properly this morning,” she finally said. “Then she just… passed out.”

My throat tightened.

“Is she awake?”

“They’re trying to stabilize her.” Stabilize. I hated that word. It always sounded like something was barely holding together.

I sat outside the room for what felt like forever. Minutes stretched into something heavier. Every second stretched and dragged painfully, every sound made my heart jump.

The sound of machines beeped faintly through the walls. Nurses walked past with quiet urgency. Someone cried in the distance.

Everything felt too real but none of them were.

“She’s awake.”

I stood up immediately. “Can I see her?” The doctor nodded. “Just for a few minutes.”

Walking into the room felt like stepping into something I wasn’t ready for.

Miriam looked smaller and weaker. Her skin looked pale, almost too pale, and there were machines around her that I didn’t want to understand. But when her eyes found mine, she smiled, and that broke me.

“Ellie…” Her voice was soft, she sounded fragile.

I moved quickly to her side, taking her hand gently. “I’m here,” I whispered. “I’m here.” “You should be in school,” she murmured.

A shaky laugh escaped me.

“Seriously? That’s what you’re worried about?” “I mean it,” she said weakly. “You can’t keep putting your life on hold for me.”

My chest tightened painfully. “I’m not putting anything on hold.”

“You are.” Her fingers squeezed mine slightly. “Promise me something.” I shook my head immediately. “No.” “Ellie—” “No,” I said again, my voice breaking. “You’re going to be fine.”

She just looked at me, but something in that look was quiet, and final which made fear crawl up my spine.

After a while, the nurse asked me to step out so she could rest. I didn’t want to leave, but I had to because I didn’t have a choice.

I stepped into the hallway slowly, my head spinning. It felt colder and quieter when I stepped out, like something had shifted.

And then I saw him.

Aiden.

He was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, like he had been there for a while. Like he was waiting for me and had no intention to leave. For a second, I just stared, because nothing about this made sense. He didn’t belong here, not in this part of my life, not in this reality of mine.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended it to be.

His eyes lifted to mine immediately. “You didn’t answer your phone. I got worried.”

My stomach dropped instantly. I totally forgot.

“I’ve been busy,” I said. “At the hospital?” he asked. I frowned slightly. “How did you even know I was here?” “You told me where she was being treated,” he said simply.

Right, I did—casually. Like it didn’t matter.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I said.

“Why not?”

“Because this…” I gestured around us. “This isn’t your world.”

There was an uncomfortable, short silence.

“It’s a hospital, Ellie.”

“It’s more than that,” I said quietly. “It’s where people come when things go wrong.”

Another short silence.

Then— “How is she?”

My chest tightened a bit.

“She collapsed.”

His expression changed slightly.

“They’re trying to stabilize her.” “I’m sorry,” he said.

And again— It sounded real.

“I didn’t tell you to come,” I added. “I know.” “Then why are you here?”

He paused for a bit before answering. “Because you didn’t tell me not to care.” That hit me harder than I expected. “You shouldn’t,” I said softly. “Why?” “Because this isn’t something you can fix.” “I’m not trying to fix it.” “Then what are you doing?” He stepped closer. “Showing up.”

That word stayed with me. ‘Showing up.’ It sound simple but it wasn’t for me. I was someone used to handling everything alone.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly. “You’re not.” “I said I’m fine.” “That doesn’t make it true.”

My breath shook. I explained sharply, running a hand through my hair.

“I don’t have time to fall apart right now.”

“You don’t have to do it alone.” I looked at him—really looked at him.

And there it was again, that steady presence, that quiet understanding, that dangerous comfort.

Before I could stop myself— I stepped forward and hugged him. It wasn’t planned, It wasn’t neat, It was desperate and real and sudden.

For a second, he froze. Then his arms wrapped around me. Firm, warm, steady and just like that, everything I had been holding in broke loose.

“I’m scared,” I whispered against his chest.

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

“I know,” he murmured. And somehow—that made everything worse, because he understood.

I stayed there longer than I should have. Long enough to forget where I was, long enough to feel something I hadn’t felt in a while—safe.

When I pulled back, my heart was racing, my hands were shaking and something between us had changed.

Because that was the first time Aiden Hayes stepped into my world—not as a stranger, not as a distraction, but as someone who stayed.

And I didn’t know it yet but letting him in like that, was the beginning of everything I would eventually lose.