Jacob
I keep telling myself I’m doing the right thing.
It’s the only thought that steadies my pulse as I stand outside the ICU, hands braced against the railing, staring at the floor without really seeing it. The hospital hums around me — machines, footsteps, murmured voices — but inside my head, everything feels oddly still.
Lizzie needs me.
The thought comes easily. It always has.
She’s shaken. Exhausted. Holding herself together for her parents while her father lies unconscious behind glass and machines. Of course I’m here. Of course I stay. There was never really a question.
Bella will understand.
She’s a sweet child. Thoughtful. Observant. She’s always been good at adapting, at sensing when something matters and when it doesn’t need to be made into a bigger issue. She won’t fee
