The only sounds in the hospital room are the delicate rustle of pages and the soft beep of the heart monitor.

With a storybook perched on her knee and her legs crossed, Louisa sits by Liam's bedside.

Her sonorous voice brings the story to life as she reads it aloud.

Liam, is leaning against a pile of cushions, listening carefully, his pale face focused on the story being read.

"And the gallant knight was about to—"

The door creaks open, and Louisa pauses in the middle of the story.

Surprised, she looks up as Fred enters the room.

His attitude is a mix of hesitation and determination as he holds...