~Teyana’s POV~

•Two Months Later•

“Mrs Carter has less than three months to live.”

The words landed between the doctor and I like a physical weapon, heavy enough that I felt it press into my chest. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe properly. I was seated across the family doctor table, my hands folded tightly in my lap, nails digging into my palms as though the pain there could keep the rest of me from breaking apart.

I closed my eyes slowly, because I knew if I kept them open, the tears would spill immediately, and once they started, I didn’t trust myself to stop. I focused on...