The sudden, insistent ringing of my phone shattered the silence, pullingvme back to my reverie. My vision was blurry as I fumbled to answer.

“Mom?” I mumbled, my voice thick with fatigue.

“Amora, why on earth are you in the hospital?” came the worried voice on the other end. “I went to your unit, I thought you were coming home tonight. I checked your location and saw you’re at a hospital. I’ve been trying to reach you. Where are you?”

I blinked, struggling to shake off the haze of sleep and guilt. I had completely forgotten to update my mom about my change in plans. “Mom, I’m alright, but Sky isn’t, he- he got into an accident. I need to stay with him. He’s still not awake. I can’t leave him alone. We’re in Room 12B.”

Her voice softened with concern. “Honey, I’m so sorry to hear that. I understand you want to be there for Sky. I’m outside the hospital now and will be coming up to see you. Let’s talk first. You need to take care of yourself too. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

After a few minutes, I heard a soft knock on the door. My mom entered, her face a mix of shock and worry as she took in Sky’s appearance. She went straight to me and gave me a tight hug.

“Honey, I understand, but you’re exhausted,” she uttered, her tone a mix of concern and gentle firmness. “You need to take care of yourself too. I’m really worried about you. “ she looked at my digital watch “just for how long have you been crying? Please, come home and rest.”

“Mom, he’ll be left here alone.” I said, my voice trembling.

Mom gently squeezed my shoulder. “Look, we’ll make sure Sky is in good hands. You’ve been here for hours, and you’re running on empty. You know this is not good for you. Please, just come back here tomorrow.”

“Mom, it’s just that, I want to be here when he regains consciousness.” I said, my voice breaking with a mix of exhaustion and determination. “I need to be here for him, to make sure he knows I’m here.”

My mom’s gaze softened as she looked at me with understanding. “I know how much you care about him, and he’ll appreciate that when he wakes up. But right now, you need to take care of yourself. You know your situation right, you know how important rest is for you. Please, let’s go home and get some rest.”

I hesitated, looking at Sky’s pale face. His breathing was steady but shallow, and his eyes remained closed. The thought of leaving him even for a moment felt unbearable. But my mother’s voice was filled with concern, and I knew she was right. I needed to rest, and her insistence was a sign of her love and worry for me.

“Okay,” I relented, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Okay let me call on a nurse.” and stepped outside the room to find a nurse.

I took a deep breath and stepped closer to Sky’s bed. With a trembling hand, I gently kissed his forehead and then his hand, my tears falling softly onto his skin. “I’ll come back tomorrow, I promise,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone, but I need to rest. Please hold on for me. I love you, I’m sorry”

I said my goodbyes to Sky in a whispered prayer, my tears falling onto his hand. Reluctantly, I followed my mom out of the room, each step away from Sky feeling like a betrayal. The hallway seemed to stretch endlessly, and my heart ached with the burden of leaving him.