KAIA
The night air is crisp and cool as we step outside.
Lewis gestures to one of the benches, and I sit, suddenly aware of how exhausted I am. He settles beside me—close enough to be comforting, but not invasively so.
For a moment, we just sit in silence, the distant sounds of the hospital muted out here.
"How are you holding up?" Lewis asks finally, his voice gentle.
I laugh, the sound bitter. "My mother just collapsed. How do you think I'm holding up?"
"Fair point." A small smile tugs at his lips, then fades. "I'm glad I was there. At the store. I hate to think what might have happened if no one had been around to call for help."
Guilt twists in my chest. "Thank you. For calling the ambulance. For staying."
"Of course." He turns to face me more fully, his blue eyes serious in th
