HUNTER
Three days have passed.
Madison still sleeps.
Everything else moves, yet it feels wrong. We’re all stuck on pause while the world keeps going without us. We go through the motions on autopilot. Eat when we’re reminded. Sleep when exhaustion wins. Breathe, because our bodies insist on it. None of us is really living. We’re holding our breath. Waiting. Checking our phones every few minutes for an update when we’re not sitting by her side.
Halle and Asher won’t look at me the same. After they walked in on me that first day, I came clean. Told them the truth. About the letters. Finding them. How I kept them hidden because I was scared.
Scared to hand them over. Scared of what they’d open up. Scared they’d disrupt the peace we’ve been clinging to. They listened to everything I had to say. They didn’t yell. Halle didn’t say anything at all, and that somehow hurt worse than if she had. No anger, no tears, just silence. Asher was the one who spoke. Told me it wasn’t my decision tomake. That those letters, addressed to Halle, were never mine to hold onto.
Then they walked out.
I’ve spent the last two days by Madison’s side, only leaving when Claire demanded I go look after myself. To eat something, sleep for a few hours, breathe somewhere that didn’t smell like disinfectant and fear.
Tessa and Jace have visited. Sarah and Connor stop in during the evenings, leaving Remi at home with Halle. Everyone takes turns. Everyone offers their strength.
Today, we’re supposed to be talking about next steps. About what happensafterMadison wakes. Before any of that… I’m giving Halle her letters.
My stomach rolls as I bite down on my thumb, pacing the length of my couch. The stack of letters sits on the coffee table, like they haven’t been haunting me for months. I sigh, reaching for my phone.
Me: Hi baby girl. I miss you.
Me: I’m giving Halle her letters today. I wish you were here. Not for me, but for her.
Me: I know how much she’s struggling without you. I’m glad Asher’s here to hold her up.
Me: When I’m finished here, I’m coming back to you.
Me: Please wake up soon.
Tapping the phone against my palm, I start pacing again.
A sharp gasp tears from my throat when I spin.
“Shit, you scared me, Sarah.”
“I tried calling out to you,” she says with a shrug.
“Where’s Remi?” I ask, scanning the room.
Guilt pinches tight in my chest. I haven’t been very present with him this past week, and the last thing I want is to let the little man down.
“He’s with Connor down at the park. They’ll be back soon.” She smiles.
I glance at her, curiosity tugging at me.
“They’ve been spending a lot of time together lately, haven’t they?”
“Remi loves Ace, that’s all. Connor doesn’t seem to mind either.”
“Mhm,” I murmur, unconvinced.
Her gaze drifts to the coffee table. “Do you want me here when you give those to Halle?”
I shake my head. “No. Thank you, though.” I pause, searching for the right words. “For everything. I should have listened to you that first day we got back. I shouldn’t have put this off for this long.”
She steps closer. “Hey. What matters now is that you’re trying to make things right.”
