Keith was already awake, his eyes fixed on me. He had finally come around, and by some strange twist of fate, the accident had actually restored his mind to its full clarity.
His eyes were rimmed with red as he said weakly, "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry for all the worry I put you through all these years."
Eileen and Eden were so overcome with joy that they cried tears of relief and could not find their voices for a long time, and I stood off to the side, feeling genuinely happy for them, but also carrying a strange, bittersweet ache in my chest that I could not quite put into words.
Once everyone else had filed out of the room, I hesitated for a moment and then made to follow them.
But just as I reached the door, I heard him call my name, "Hazel."
When I turned around, I met his eyes, which l
