It wasn’t the final news we wanted, but it was news we could hold.

Hannah asked the nurse to repeat one sentence.

Lucas wrote it down.

They did not touch hands, yet for a moment they acted like the team they had hoped to become.

The surgeon eventually returned and explained what had been done.

Hope was stable after the procedure and would remain under close observation.

There would be careful monitoring, follow-up imaging and appointments, and continued discussions with the care team about her individual development.

We listened to every detail.