“Thank you,” Uncle Mike says, emotion thick in his voice. “For saving my nephew.”
Finn shakes his head.
“Ah, now, there’s no need for that,” he says. “Just doing my job.”
Nathan rests a hand on Uncle Mike’s shoulder.
“I’m taking Mike home,” he explains. “I called Andrés earlier. He’ll be coming over to stay the night with him.”
Uncle Mike gives a small wave of his hand as if to confirm that the whole arrangement has already been decided.
Nathan’s eyes move back to me.
“I stopped by your place earlier and picked up Neptune,” Nathan says. “He, Skye, and Houston are having a sleepover tonight, so you can focus on Aiden.”
That earns the first real smile I’ve felt in hours.
I step forward and hug him.
“Thank you for taking care of Neptune.”
“Don’t mention it,” he says easily.
Across from us, April studies me for a moment, her eyes moving slowly over my clothes.
“Are you planning to go home at all tonight?”
I glance down then, suddenly aware that I’m still wearing my work clothes.
The thought of leaving the hospital tightens something immediately in my chest.
“I don’t want to leave.”
April doesn’t argue. Instead, she reaches for my arm and squeezes it gently.
“Okay. Max and I will go to your house and grab some clothes for you, and we’ll bring you some dinner.”
Relief moves through me.
“Thank you,” I say, hugging her and Max again.
“Of course,” he says. “Whatever you need.”
Nathan gestures toward the hallway.
“You can follow me,” he tells them. “I have the key to May’s place at home.”
Within a few minutes, the waiting room feels noticeably quieter.
It’s just Finn and me now.
I glance up at him, half expecting him to say he should probably head home too, but he doesn’t move.
“Come on,” I say, and he follows.
We walk back down the hallway toward Aiden’s room together.
The soft rhythm of the monitors greets us the moment we step inside again, steady and familiar now after hours of listening to it.
