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“I’m serious. You got everybody in here stressed out.”

I said in a joking manner as I squeezed Daddy’s hand. For a second, nothing happened. Then something brushed against my palm. I stopped. My smile disappeared as I looked down at our hands.

“What?” Tahari asked as my back stiffened.

I didn’t answer. I stared at Daddy’s fingers, wondering if I had imagined it. Then I felt it again. It was the slightest movement. My heart jumped as I shot forward in my chair.

“Daddy?”

Tahari sat up beside me. I tightened my hand around my father’s hand.

“Daddy, can you hear me?”

His fingers moved against mine again, and this time there was no mistaking it. My chair scraped against the floor as I stood.

“Daddy?”

I turned around quickly and shouted for my mom.

“Mama!”

Chapter 4

Eternity

The panic in Maliah’s voice sent me rushing back into the room before I had time to think. I had only stepped away for a few minutes, but the second I heard my daughter call for me, every terrible possibility ran through my mind. I pushed through the door and immediately looked toward Malik.

“What happened?” I asked in a panic.

“He moved.”

I stopped. Maliah was standing beside the bed with Malik’s hand held tightly between both of hers. Tahari had risen from his chair and was standing behind her, his attention fixed on Malik too.

“What do you mean he moved?” I asked as I stepped closer to the bed.

“His fingers.” Maliah looked down at their joined hands. “He squeezed my hand. I was talking to him, and his fingers moved.”

I hurried to the other side of the bed. My heart was beating so hard that I could feel it in my throat. I searched Malik’s face for any sign that something had changed, but he looked the same as he had when I left the room.

“You sure?”

I knew that sometimes if you wanted something to happen bad enough, your mind would start playing tricks on you.

“Yes, Mama. He did it more than once.”

I reached over and pressed the call button for the nurse. While we waited, I slipped my hand around Malik’s forearm, careful not to disturb anything connected to him.

“Baby?”

Nothing happened. I leaned closer.

“Malik, I’m right here.”

Maliah continued talking to him from the other side, telling him that she was there too, and within seconds, a nurse came into the room. I stepped back enough to give her space and explained what Maliah had felt. She immediately moved closer to the bed and began checking him. I watched every movement she made. She was working diligently, and she seemed focused. I was looking for something in her expression that would tell me whether this was good or bad.

She spoke to Malik while touching his arm, asking him if he could hear her. At first, there was no response, and I could see Maliah growing anxious beside me. She probably thought that she was going crazy.

Then Malik’s face changed slightly. It was so subtle that I almost missed it. His brow tightened before relaxing again, and a few seconds later, his fingers moved in Maliah’s hand.