It was louder now.
Closer.
Real.
My fingers trembled as I lifted his head gently and placed another pillow beneath it, trying to ease his breathing.
I knew what this meant.
I knew exactly what was happening.
And still… I wasn’t ready.
Tears blurred my vision, but I kept wiping them away, over and over again.
I couldn’t let him see me break.
I couldn’t let him feel my fear.
He didn’t need that.
Not now.
But inside, I was crumbling.
A paralysis held me in place even as every part of me screamed to do something—anything—to stop what was happening.
This was my worst nightmare.
And it was unfolding right in front of me.
I reached for my phone and dialled Liam.
“Get here as fast as you can,” I said, my voice breaking despite my efforts. “He… he is taking his last breaths.”
I ended the call before I could fall apart completely and dialled Jack next, forcing the words out again.
Then I went back to Cole.
I took his hand in mine, holding it tightly.
Minutes felt like hours.
Jack and Maureen arrived first, their presence filling the room with a quiet, heavy understanding. Not long after, Liamrushed in with Jessica, his face pale, his eyes already filled with grief.
They all gathered around the bed.
No one said much.
There were no words for this.
Cole’s skin had turned pale, his eyes open but distant, glassy.
I stayed right beside him, never letting go of his hand.
Liam sat on the other side, while Jack and Maureen remained at the foot of the bed, the room wrapped in a silence that felt almost sacred.
Time slowed.
