Ruby’s POV

The hospital settled into a strange rhythm after that day.

Nurses came and went. Time stretched in thin, quiet lines that made everything feel heavier than it should. My foster mother lay propped up against white pillows, her face pale but alert. She was awake more often now, asking questions, watching me, and watching everything.

Austin came three days later.

He didn’t announce himself. I knew he was there before I saw him. Something about the way the air shifted, and I felt a ...