—Mabel—

The evening sun streamed through the hospital windows as my family and I bonded... from chattering, we played board games, and told stories that left us laughing hard.

“Alright!” Alec said, springing to his feet. “Time to head home.”

The kids groaned. “Nooo!”

I smiled. “Come on, guys. Tomorrow's school. You need to go home and get some rest.”

They hesitated, before walking into my embrace. I kissed their foreheads and held them tightly.

“Be good children for Daddy, ...