When Noah and Sophie entered the room, they ran to the bed crying. Noah clung tightly to his arm. Sophie kissed his hand and pressed it against her cheek.
“Daddy…” she sobbed. “I thought you were going to leave.”
Alexander closed his eyes for a moment to hold back tears.
“I’m here, sweetheart,” he whispered. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
That same day, he asked the staff to call Maria.
She entered nervously, not understanding why the most important patient on the floor wanted to see her. When she saw Alexander awake, propped up, and looking directly at her, she froze.
“Mr. Hayes… I… I didn’t know…”
“I did,” he said calmly. “I heard everything.”
Maria went pale, embarrassed, almost ready to apologize for crying in front of him.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… I was desperate and—”
Alexander raised a hand gently.
“Don’t apologize. You gave something back to me that I was losing. You reminded me who I wanted to be.”
Maria’s eyes filled with tears again.
“My little girl…” she said very softly. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Alexander looked at her with a quiet steadiness, different from the businessman who gave orders out of habit.