“I’m so sorry, but I have to stop the bleeding.”

I could just make out voices on the other side of the pond. “We’re over here,” I shouted. “We need a medic.”

Caelyn’s eyes flared. “Mia.”

“We’re gonna get her. Don’t worry. I just need you to focus on your breathing. Keep your eyes on me.”

Her breaths were too shallow, and no matter how hard I pressed on her wound, the bleeding didn’t seem to slow. Hell, I didn’t even know if the bullet was still inside her body.

“Griffin,” she wheezed.

“I’m right here.”

Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. “Take care of them, my tiny terrors. Promise me you’ll take care of them.”

My heart spasmed in my chest. “No. Don’t you talk like you’re not going to be here. Help is on its way. It’s only a matter of minutes.”

“Promise me.” Her eyes pleaded, tears glistening on her cheeks.

“Love you,” she whispered.

“I love you, too. And I’m going to show you every day for the rest of your life. You’re the most important person in the world to me, and you’re not going to leave us.” Why had I waited to make her mine completely? To ask her to be my wife. To spend forever with me. It seemed so trivial now. The length of time we’d been together. None of that mattered when she and the kids were my whole heart. I pressed harder against the wound as blood began to seep through the gaps in my fingers. “Stay with me.”

But there was no answer. Only silence.

I shifted Mia in my arms as I glanced around the waiting room. As soon as she arrived at the hospital, she’d flung herself from Will to me. And she hadn’t let go since. She’d finally fallen asleep about thirty minutes ago, but when Bell had offered to take her from me, I’d found it was me who couldn’t let go.

These kids were the only pieces of Caelyn I had to hold onto. The one thing helping me hold onto hope. Because while Caelyn had been airlifted to Seattle, her heart had stopped. For two whole minutes, Caelyn had ceased to be. And I could feel every second of that time carved into my soul. As soon as we landed, the doctors and nurses had rushed her into surgery, and I was alone.

A kind nurse had offered me the use of their showers and a clean pair of scrubs. But as I looked down at my hands resting on Mia’s back, I saw that there was still blood under my fingernails. How long would that last? Maybe forever. I swallowed down the scream that wanted to escape.