*Lexie's POV*

I stand by my mother's bedside, nervously twisting a strand of my long, wavy auburn hair around my finger. Anticipation and hope pulse through the sterile hospital room like an electrical current as I watch her chest rise and fall with each shallow breath. I strain to hear the faint sounds of life emanating from her body, willing her to wake up.

‘Come on, Mom,’ I whisper, fighting to keep my voice steady. ‘You can do this.’

As if in ...