Halle stands by the window, Asher behind her with his arms locked around her shoulders. Jace watches from the far corner, while Tessa lingers at the foot of the bed, her phone resting on the table beside her with Connor and Sarah on the line, after staying back at the house with Remi. We agreed it was better this way. A new town, new faces, the last thing we want is to confuse or upset him when he’s transitioning so well.
My hands won’t stop shaking by my sides. I reach forMadison’s, taking the seat I’ve claimed as my own right next to her.
“Right, everyone here?” Claire asks, her gaze sweeping the room.
“Hi, Momma Claire. Sending you big hugs.” Connor’s voice carries through the phone.
The corner of her mouth twitches. “Connor,” she muses. “Hello.”
Claire steps closer to the bed, glancing at the clipboard hanging on the wall.
“I asked you all here this morning because we’re cautiously hopeful Madison may wake up tomorrow.”
My breath stalls.
“Now, waking up is a huge step on its own.” Her eyes move from face to face, making sure we’re listening. “But it doesn’t mean she’s out of the woods. There are still a lot of unknowns, and I want to prepare you all for what comes next.”
No one speaks. We all nod, one by one, clinging to every word she says, clinging to the hope floating through the air.
“The doctors will want to keep her here for at least a couple of weeks after she wakes. Head injuries take time heal, and her bruised lungs will need rest as well. They’ll be monitoring her closely for confusion, headaches, or any signs of memory loss?—”
“What?” I blurt. “Memory loss?”
“Yes, sweetheart. There’s a possibility. I hope there isn’t, but we won’t know until she wakes.”
A choppy breath leaves me, the room tilting enough to make me grab the side of the bed.
“Hey, Hunter,” Sarah’s voice comes through the phone.
“Y-yeah?”
“Deep breaths.”
I try. Fail. Try again. My breath turns shallow.
Jace’s hand lands on my shoulder, firm and grounding, the squeeze reeling me back in.
“What happens if she wakes up not remembering us?” I ask.
“We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.” Claire’s eyes hold mine, unflinching. “Right now, we’re not going to worry about the what-ifs. We’re going to plan for what happens when it’s time for her to go home.”
She lifts her hand, ticking it off on her fingers. “She won’t be able to drive for quite some time. Months, even. She might experience extreme fatigue. Emotional swings.”
Her gaze moves around the room.
“She’s going to need help,” she says, waiting. “Can we count on each other to be there when she needs us?”
Murmured agreements ripple through the room. Shadows stretch across the bed as everyone shifts closer, but I don’t take my eyes off Madison.
“If it’s okay with you,” I say, lifting my gaze to Claire. “If she agrees… I’d like her to move in with me. So I can look after her full-time. Everyone comes and goes as it is. It’ll make it easier to help.”
“What about Remi?” Halle asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Please don’t worry about us,” Sarah says through the phone. “Hunter, you do whatever you and Madison need to do. Whatever it is to make her recovery easier, you do that.”
“We’ll figure out the logistics when we need to,” Claire says. “For now, let’s wait and see what happens, and hope she wakes up soon.”
“Hey… maybe,” Tessa starts, then clears her throat. “Maybe we could each share a memory with Madi before we go. It could help… if she can hear us. Maybe she’ll want to wake up.”
