**On the bed**

An hour later and his eyes fluttered open again, and this time he seemed a bit more present, his gaze sharper, though it still looked like it took effort just to keep them open. He glanced around before finally settling his eyes on me, a slight furrow of confusion crossing his brow. I barely gave him a moment to process before I whispered, “Just a second,” and went to reheat the soup I’d prepared earlier.

Back in the kitchen, I warmed it gently on the stove, stirring ...