Hailee's POV
I didn't move for two hours. Not once. I just sat there at the edge of the bed, my eyes fixed on Oscar's little chest, rising and falling so faintly that every breath felt like a gift I was terrified of losing.
My hand never left his. His small fingers were limp in mine, warm but without their usual spark, and I kept rubbing them gently as if that alone could coax him back to me. My cheeks were stiff with dried tears, but my eyes still burned. Every now and then, another tear would slip free and fall onto his blanket.
Oliver and Ozzy had refused to leave. They lay curled up near his feet, their little faces pale and worried, drifting in and out of restless sleep. Even in their dreams they were tense, their bodies twitching whenever Oscar stirred.
I leaned over, brushing a damp strand of red hair from his forehead. His skin was clammy under my touch. I kissed him there, whispering against his skin, "Please, baby… please don't leave me. Mama can't bear it."
