the spaces between

call

his chest constricted. "what happened? what's going on?"

"it's emilia." her breath hitched. "she—she stopped breathing for a minute. they brought her back, but..." her voice crumbled.

matt gripped the edge of a bench so hard his knuckles went white. "shit." the word tore out of him like he'd been punched. "isa..."

"i can't—" she cut off, a sob punching through the line. "i can't do this again."

his heart split clean down the middle.

he wanted to be there. wanted to hold her, wrap her up in his arms, take every ounce of this hurt and crush it to dust. but he was a thousand miles away and that reality tasted like blood in his mouth.

"hey, listen to me," he said, voice fierce even as it shook. "you're not alone, okay? i'm right here. i'm not going anywhere."

silence. then a small, broken whisper: "i'm so scared."

matt closed his eyes, fighting the burn behind them. "i know, baby. i know." the word slipped out before he could stop it, soft and raw and real.

he stayed on the phone with her until the line went quiet—not because she hung up, but because she fell asleep in that hospital chair, exhaustion finally winning.

matt didn't sleep at all.

the beep of machines was a lullaby isa couldn't escape. she sat curled in the stiff hospital chair, hoodie zipped to her chin, matt's voice echoing in her head like a ghost.

he'd stayed. hours. talking about nothing and everything until her body gave out.

when she woke, it was dark outside, the room lit by the dim glow of monitors. emilia was still here. still breathing. and isa's mom was asleep on the couch, her face slack with worry even in dreams.

isa slipped out quietly, needing air. the corridor felt endless, her sneakers whispering against the tile as she made her way to the tiny hospital chapel.

she didn't pray—not really. just sat there with her head in her hands, whispering into the dark.

"please. not her too."

her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she nearly dropped it.

matt: you awake?

isa stared at the screen until tears blurred the letters. then she typed back:
yeah.

the reply came fast:
faceTime?

she hesitated. then hit accept.

when matt's face appeared on the screen, something in her chest loosened like a knot unraveling.

"hi," he said, voice soft and low, like he was afraid to break her.

"hi." her own voice sounded fragile, thinner than she wanted.

he tilted his head, studying her like he could see through the phone and straight into her bones. "where are you?"

isa turned the camera slowly, showing him the small altar, the flickering candles someone had left behind, the quiet space that didn't feel quiet enough.

"chapel," she murmured. "couldn't... sit in there anymore."

matt's brows pulled together, his jaw tight. "isa..." his voice was heavy with things he couldn't fix.