Hours later in Anteca…
Penny sat on a bench in the hallway leading to Charles's room. She closed her eyes and let out a deep exhale, but when she opened them again, a cup of hot chocolate was already being offered to her.
"Thanks," she whispered, taking it from her husband's hand. When she met Zoren's eyes, he gave her a small nod.
"They'll be here soon," he said.
"I know," she replied softly, holding the cup as her hands trembled despite her effort to steady them. Zoren gently wrapped his hands around hers, earning only a faint smile in return. "It just… it reminded me of something."
And Zoren understood immediately.
Charles was never meant to live this long.
According to Penny, in their first lives, Charles had died while they were still in high school. He would have been in an accident—left paralyzed, clinging to life for a short while before eventually passing away.
"I still remember it," she whispered, staring into the cup. "The day we buried him."
