Maybe it was the exhaustion. Maybe it was the silence. Maybe it was the three years of carrying unspoken worries. Whatever it was, her resolve cracked. Leaning down, she pressed a soft, trembling kiss to his lips—a fleeting confession she believed he would never know.

But the moment she pulled away, something impossible happened.

A firm arm slid around her waist.

Emily froze. His fingers tightened slightly, unmistakably alive, undeniably intentional. Heat rushed through her chest as her breath caught. The steady rhythm of the heart monitor spiked sharply, the beeps growing faster and louder.

“Daniel?” she whispered, trembling.