Noah moved toward the bed with a calm urgency before Chloe could find her voice. His fingers, steady and practiced, pressed gently against Helen’s wrist, then to the side of her neck.

“She’s fine,” he reassured after a moment, his tone both soothing and firm. “Her pulse is steady. She’s just sleeping.”

Sleeping?

Chloe’s breath quickened, a panicked rhythm in her chest. Her mother's face was serene as if she hadn’t just spoken those impossible words she couldn’t ...