Read Chapter 13: — SPRING DOES NOT WAIT

Margaret died in March.

Not from the dramatic side effect Clara had feared most. Not during chemotherapy. Not in an ICU surrounded by alarms.

She suffered a catastrophic intracranial haemorrhage at home between treatment cycles.

By the time she reached St Gabriel's, there was nothing meaningful to reverse.

Clara sat beside her mother long after the monitors were quiet.

Julian cried without restraint.

Daniel stood in the corridor because he had no idea where grief permitted him to exist.

Marcus arrived from a shift and found him there.

"Is she gone?"

Daniel nodded.

Marcus leaned against the wall.

For once, no jealousy survived the room.

At the funeral, Clara played a simple folk melody Margaret loved. She made it to the final chord before breaking.

Daniel caught her as she stepped away from the piano.

That night Clara told him, "She kept saying she wanted to see spring."

"She did," Daniel said.

"Barely."

"Still counts."

Clara looked furious, then laughed through tears.

"You are impossible."

"I've been told."

She rested her forehead against his chest.

Daniel held her.

Nothing romantic happened.

Something more important did.

They stopped pretending they were only classmates.