was to

sil

.. con

ady rise and fall of her chest beneath thin hospital sh

ro

as sti

Aria w

resp

looked small

agi

he world could sn

y, afraid she might break her too.

this," Aria mur

wallow

m tr

chines

nitors

spended insid

, a nurse gently to

ing ti

a no

idn't

cou

o the hallway, Leo was exa

gainst

olded l

ing th

immediately wh

leeping,"

no

mentioned the tre

ward the waitin

s were unc

ghts to

, her body finally ac

-eight

r pulsed i

me," Leo s

s nothin

always s

red at h

ry care, it's more than just hospital fee

rched already,

had

e cracked

this wa

studi

lanning for

small humo

se was g

ion wasn't

as fa

ething sharp

ld've tol

ed at him

might stop breathing any day

dn't r

she was

e settl

hone b

r notif

e v

circu

losed h

e about that anymo

did," Leo

nod

Ye

felt like the end o

felt irr

scar

t things could a

in her chair, staring at printed

a Be

rship h

ncial

sistance ap

omethi

sing grant from

apped her

g longer than anyone

"There's more. The house

a's lip

nto a

calcul

erest

ospital, Leo's

gnore

ame flashed acr

wi

lined t

a no

ve to stay," s

oked a

kn

ied him c

something impor

re important

ffened s

's not

Wh

range your life because

rward, elbows

rearrangin

hook h

ou

e was fla

ed something for her, i

it clea

sn't abo

about

lost the illusion that sh

efully, "strength is

not fo

rds wer

loa

tood what

, help w

r, it w

ne buzze

notif

billing

opene

ace dr

need to se

her re

was

-eight

cki

ou something,"

idn't

Wh

oles were

y're

thetic

sig

Fi

ou had the means to stabilize it wi

hesit

he answer

Ye

Wh

eca

sto

someone you care about su

use y

't calculate pri

swall

's dif

isn

athing q

is to

hovered b

fering assista

ent

blurred

approac

ulmonologist would li

ood imme

ros

them into a co

ini

utr

r than expected," the doctor said gently. "She qualifies for

iva

not fully

felt

g?" she w

an significantly exten

with

ctor he

ce ans

nodded

ank

t the room, sh

raight past th

the el

o the ni

fol

al parking

ar

ed under a

fin

e b

lou

ramati

rs just star

ith her hand, as if tryi

tepped

, he didn'

ed her i

ir

te

ted for ha

apsed into

ose her," s

," he said

on't kn

let that

ise was d

abs

led back

romise someth

oked a

promise

arched

r p

super

den expe

found

determ

cared h

he whispe

, he didn'

of pretending you

ttled heavily

a fr

sn't fli

asn't c

s someth

e wasn'

espond, headlights

pulled into t

mil

pen

ather st

ccabl

lled ex

n the scen

in Leo

al behi

is ev

aze sh

o," he sa

a gre

sum

air s

the fir

is wasn't just he

as hi