Aria’s POV
“Mrs. Cross, you really need to brace yourself. Prepare for the worst. It’s… it’s 50/50.”
The doctor’s words echo in my head, bouncing around my skull like they’re trying to find a way out. I can barely see straight as I stumble through the hospital corridor. The fluorescent lights above feel too bright, too harsh. Everything sounds distant—muffled voices, beeping machines, footsteps that aren’t mine. My eyes were already filling with tears before I even reached the parking lot.
I fumble for my keys, my hands shaking so badly I drop them twice before I manage to unlock the car. I slide into the driver’s seat and just sit there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel like it’s the only solid thing left in the world.
50/50.
Half a chance. A coin flip. My mother’s life was r
