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Feeling tense and a little uncomfortable, I slip into the room and meet his gaze. It’s warm and full of gratitude.

“Alma… Thanks for being here.”

“How are you feeling?”

“A little shaken up. And groggy.” He chuckles, pointing at his morphine pump.

“You scared me, Raph.”

Tears fill our eyes.

“‘Raph’? Do you know how long it’s been since you called me that?”

“It doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“It does to me.”

“All that matters is that you’re still here,” I whisper.

“Did you get my flowers?”

“Raphaël, I didn’t come here to talk about us.”

“This accident has opened my eyes. I need to make the most of my life, beginning right now.”

“I—”

“Let me finish. You don’t interrupt a man who’s just woken up from a coma!” He laughs at his own joke, then winces in pain. “I still love you, Alma. I never stopped believing in us.”

“Raphaël, stop.”

“We were expecting a child together. We were happy, weren’t we?”

“I don’t want to talk about that. Not now, not like this…”

“Give me a second chance. I want to give you the life you dreamed of!”

He tries to sit up, but his efforts are cut short by a twinge of pain, and he sinks back onto the bed.

“You need to rest. I’m going to go.”

“I won’t give up, Alma,” he whispers, his voice cracking.

“I’ve moved on, Raphaël. Take care of yourself.”

I’m about to leave the hospital, when I hear a familiar voice behind my back.

“Looks like he’s doing okay, then?” Basile asks, walking toward me.

“As well as can be expected, given what happened to him.”

I kiss my brother on the cheek and smooth down his slightly wrinkled suit with my hand.

“He’ll be glad you came so quickly.”

“You look like hell, Alma. I guess this has brought up a lot of emotions.”

“Look, last night, the doctors weren’t sure Raphaël was going to pull through.”