Clara Kane-Rivera woke to sunlight filtering through the hospital window, the soft beep of monitors steady for the first time in weeks.

The new heart—Lucas Bennett’s heart—beat strong in her chest.

The transplant had worked.

Rejection risks remained, medications lifelong, monitoring forever—but she was alive.

Awake.

Breathing on her own.

Alex was there when her eyes opened—face drawn from days without sleep, but smiling through ...