Jerica felt a weak grip on her hands. She turned, breath caught in her chest, and saw Jared's eyes fluttering open. That moment shattered the world around her into a blurred haze, and without thought, she leaned over his face, her voice trembling with relief and hope.
"Mea Amor," she whispered, holding his hand as if he were her anchor.
Jared hadn't fully woken; his eyelids flickered with the weight of exhaustion, and he lacked the strength to lift them completely. But even in his dazed state, his fingers tightened weakly around hers. If Jerica had been thinking clearly, she might have noticed that Jared was trying to communicate, to hold her back from slipping away from herself. But logic had abandoned her. She was consumed by irrational joy—wild and fierce.
"Mrs. Evans, we are doing this for your well-being. Please, come with us," the doctor's voice cut into the moment, as the staff tried to pry her away. Jerica wrenched her arm free, her focus unyielding.
