I hurried into the hospital after paying the driver. I didn’t have time to look back. I barely noticed the people passing by or the cold air filling the lobby. My mind had only one destination—the room where Mom was staying.

It felt as though my body already knew the route by heart, even while my knees trembled from the overwhelming rush of emotions battling inside me.

Excitement.

Fear.

Hope.

All of them are crashing into each other at the same time.

The moment I reached her room, I ...