Sam's P.O.V.
The house feels empty when we get back, the quiet overwhelming after everything that’s happened. I guide Mom to the bathroom, gently encouraging her to wash off the day, all the stress and fear. She’s exhausted, barely able to keep her eyes open as I help her get settled.
While she showers, I make chamomile tea, the warm steam filling the kitchen, calming my frazzled nerves just a little. The teapot whistles, and I pour the tea into two mugs, then head to my room. Mom joins me soon after, looking smaller somehow, fragile in a way I’ve never seen her before.
I help her settle into my bed, pulling the covers around us both. We sip the tea in silence, and for a moment, it feels like we’re not in a hospital, not on the edge of a crisis. It’s just the two of us, trying to keep t
