At first, Maya thought it was sweet. Then she noticed he barely blinked during those moments. It was as though he was measuring something only he could hear. Sometimes, when Lily slept, he’d lift his head suddenly, alert, and stare at her chest until the rhythm of her breathing calmed.
One stormy afternoon, the lights flickered across the ward. The emergency generators hummed, but briefly—too briefly—the monitors went black. Milo began barking wildly, claws scraping against the tile. His cries pierced through the storm just as Lily gasped for air.