The Words That Woke Me Up

I didn’t wake up to the sound of monitors or nurses’ footsteps.

I woke up to my son’s voice.

“Once he’s gone, we’ll move her into a home and sell everything,” Tyler whispered. His tone was calm, almost bored, like he was talking about taking out the trash.

I kept my eyes closed. My body felt heavy, my throat dry, but my mind, de repente, estaba clarísimo. I had survived a coma after a serious health crisis, pulled back from a place everyone thought I wouldn’t return from… and this was the first thing I heard.

My daughter, Vanessa, sighed softly beside him.