“Good.” My hands are shaking. I ball them into fists. “I guess I passed another year.”

“That’s good news, though.” His eyes dip to my hands, then to my wobbly legs. “Why aren’t you happy?”

“I am. Really.” I hug my middle, trying to control my breathing. It’s done, Wren. “It’s just…coming here never gets easier.”

This might sound crazy, being more shaken after than before the appointment, but Aaron’s nod only makes me feel understood.

And when he puts an arm around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head before saying, “Well, now it’s done, so we can get out of here and go home,” I feel the most intense urge to wrap my body tightly against his and ask him to never let go.

I don’t want this to end.

Biting my lip hard enough to draw blood, I squeeze my eyes shut and breathe him in. He’s so warm. So comforting.

In this moment, I realize if there was one thing I could wish for, it would be to live in a world where time stands still. Where Aaron and I could keep living without growing old, our bodies stuck in this place in time. This way, nothing would stop me from begging him to stay with me. I wouldn’t ever get sick. He’d never have to say goodbye. We could just be, together.

It’s a childish dream, I know. But the way he’s looking at me right now, I—

Ringing.

With a wince, Aaron pulls away from me and grabs his phone out of his wool jacket.

“Hello?”

I faintly hear the sound of a feminine voice speaking fast.

“Wait, wait, wait, Callie, slow down. Tell me what happened.”

While my heart was beating fast minutes ago, it’s jackhammering against my chest now. It could be anything. Dennis having another stroke. Callie getting hurt. Martina falling down the stairs.

But when Aaron turns to me with sympathetic eyes, I realize I forgot one important option.

The girls. Callie was with the girls today. She had a day off and had all but begged me to leave them in Sonder Hill for the night. I’d gladly accepted.

Aaron doesn’t need to tell me something happened to one of them. I can read him like an open book. Plus, I’ve seen this look a thousand times before. The bad-news look. It’s one I welcome like an old friend. And with the step back I’ve just taken, he must know I know what’s coming.

“What vet are you at?” he says softly.

The voice answers something, then Aaron says, “Okay. Stay with Mom. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

* * *