She leans down and hugs me, careful, gentle, and I feel her tiny body shaking with quiet sobs against my ribs.
I close my eyes and hold her as tightly as I can with one arm, pressing my lips to the top of her head.
“I love you, Efan,” she whispers.
My throat burns. My eyes sting.
“I love you too, bug.”
Summer brushes Mia’s hair back, tears running silently down her face. Penny sniffles behind her.
Mia curls against my side like she’s trying to protect me.
She stays like that until the door opens again, this time louder.
“Where is he…?”
Jace’s voice hits first. Then boots. Many boots.
The entire Hawthorne clan floods the room like a damn stampede.
Mama is first.
“Oh thank God!” she cries, rushing to the bed and pressing her hand to my cheek.“You scared the life out of me, you hear? The absolute life.”
I manage a soft smile.“Hey, Mama.”
My father swallows several times before he takes my good hand in his.“Scared me, son. Don’t ever do that again.”
“Don’t worry, Dad. Like Mia said, I’m invincible,” I joke, but the room stays quiet.
Grace is crying openly, hugging Summer and kissing Mia on the forehead.
Jude grips the bed rail, jaw tight, eyes shiny.“Bro… don’t ever do that again.”
“I’ll try,” I murmur.
Dex walks in last with Cas and Jace, all three looking like they aged ten years in one afternoon.
Dex wipes his eyes and mutters,“If you died, I would have haunted the shit out of you.”
Cas snorts.“You don’t even believe in ghosts.”
“I’d make an exception.”
“Don’t worry, still here to be a pain in your ass.” I smile at them.
Jace leans over the bed and whispers,“You good?”
I nod.“Yeah.”
He nods back, eyes red.“Good.”
Slowly the room fills with voices, laughter, jokes…
It’s loud. Messy. Emotional. But God… it feels like home.
The noise dims when someone in a cast limps through the doorway.
