Claire’s eyes, once so vibrant, were now windows to a soul that seemed lost. “I’ve been better,” she admitted, her voice small. “It’s been complicated. The doctors are still running tests. But I’m managing.”

A part of me wanted to reach out, to offer comfort, but the chasm of our past held me back. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have—”

Her gaze snapped to mine, sharp with old wounds. “Would you have, Ethan? After everything, would you have really wanted this?”