Richie stood by Leah’s bedside, his entire body shaking as he cried. The pain was unbearable, the thought of losing her too much to handle.

The boys, their innocent faces wet with tears, clung to Richie as they looked at their mother lying so still on the bed.

"Dad… is Mom going to be alright?" one of the boys, his voice small and frightened, asked between sobs.

Richie could barely answer. He dropped to his knees beside the bed, burying his face in his hands. His heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces.

He couldn’t stop the flood of tears. "God, please…" Richie began, his voice breaking...