Richard pov.

Weeks passed. Life felt like a blur of hospital visits, endless updates from doctors, and quiet moments spent in Sarah's room.

I was there every day, holding her hand, speaking softly to her, willing her to wake up. Zoe and Martins tried their best to keep things light whenever they visited, cracking jokes or telling stories, but even they couldn't hide their worry. The NICU had become another constant in my life. Our daughter was thriving despite her premature birth, a tiny fighter who seemed determined to make it through.

I'd visit her every evening after sitting with Sarah, watching her tiny chest rise and fall under the glow of the incubator's lights. She was the only glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark time.

"Hey, little one," I whispered one night, my hand resting on the incubator. "Your mom's going to wake up soon. She has to. She wouldn't leave us like this."

It was a quiet morning when the miracle happened. I was sitting in Sarah's room, flipping through a book that Zoe had left behind.

She and Martins had gone out to grab coffee, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I glanced up at Sarah, as I always did, and for a moment, I thought I was imagining it. Her fingers twitched.

"Sarah?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I stood up, leaning closer. "Sarah, can you hear me?"

Her eyelids fluttered, and then, slowly, they opened.

"Richard?" Her voice was hoarse, barely audible, but it was her.

My heart nearly stopped. I pressed the call button for the nurse, my hands trembling. "You're awake," I said, my voice breaking. "You're really awake."

She looked confused, her gaze darting around the room. "What... What happened?"

been out for weeks," I said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "There was an accident, but you're safe now. And so is our daughter." "Our daughter?" Her eyes widened, a

Sarah. She's been waiting for

to check on her, but I couldn't stop smiling. She was back. Later that day, after the doctors

her eyes filling with tears as she looked down at our

a fighter," I said, my voice soft. "Just like

and carefully placed our

breathtaking. Sarah held her close, her tears falling freely as she whispered

girl," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm your mommy. I'm so sorry

we both gazed at the

finally discharged. Zoe and Martins insisted on coming along, making a big production out of decorating the house with balloons and

wobbling on the ladder. "Unlike you, I've got

do," Zoe said,

and for the first time

our daughter. Every time she held her, it was as if the weight of everything we'd been

in the nursery. She was rocking the baby to sleep, her voice soft and full of emotion. "For what?" I asked, sitting

rock," she said. "For not giving

hand, squeezing it gently. "You don't have to

everything that had happened. She wanted to know everything,

my tone bitter. "She manipulated her, made her believe I was her dead fiance, and convinced her you were the villain. All

know what to say."

back in the psychiatric hospital," I said. "And Susan's in prison. They won't

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