Finn's POV

_____Four Months Later_____

April arrives with the first hints of spring, but it's hard to find comfort in the changing seasons. Four months have passed since the accident, and Lily is still in her coma. Every day feels like an endless cycle of hope and despair, waiting for a miracle that seems to slip further away with each passing day.

Kam and Jen have been incredible through all of this. They're here almost every day, taking turns with me to sit by Lily's bedside, talking to her, reading to her, hoping that somewhere, somehow, she can hear us. They clean her, gently brushing her hair, making sure she's as comfortable as possible. They've become a constant presence in the hospital, almost like a second family to the nurses who come and go with their shifts.

Kam's a natural caregiver, her touch always gentle, her voice soft and encouraging as she speaks to Lily, telling her about her day, about the small things that have happened.

Jen is quieter, but just as dedicated. She brings books and reads aloud, choosing stories she thinks Lily would like, her voice soothing and calm. She keeps things light, but I can see the worry etched in her face, the dark circles under her eyes.

It's become a routine, this strange new normal. The girls and I move through the motions with a kind of quiet determination, each of us doing our part to take care of Lily, to keep her connected to the world outside her coma. We've become a team, bound together by our love for her and our desperate hope that she'll come back to us.

But as the days turn into weeks, and the weeks into months, it's hard not to feel the weight of time pressing down on us. Every day she doesn't wake up is another day lost, another piece of our hearts chipped away by the relentless passing of time.

I sit by her bed, watching her chest rise and fall with each shallow breath, the machines doing most of the work. I take her hand in mine, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles, trying to find some semblance of comfort in the familiarity of her touch.

"Butterfly," I whisper, leaning closer. "It's April now. Spring's starting to come around. Remember how much you loved the cherry blossoms? I saw some on my way in today. They're just starting to bloom. You'd love it."

I pause, swallowing back the lump in my throat.

"I miss you," I continue softly. "We all do. Kam and Jen, they've been amazing. They're here every day, just waiting for you to come back to us. We're all waiting, Lily. I don't know how much longer I can do this without you. Please, come back to me. Come back to us."

The room is quiet except for the steady beeping of the machines, and I close my eyes, pressing her hand to my forehead, hoping against hope that she'll wake up. That she'll hear me. That somehow, she'll find her way back.

As the days stretch on and April unfolds, I cling to the slender thread of hope that somehow, someday, she'll open her eyes and return to us. Until then, I'll be here waiting, hoping and holding on.

A sudden vibration pulls me from my thoughts. My phone. I check the caller ID and sigh. Coach.

"Brookes?"

"Coach?"

"What the hell were you thinking?!" His voice booms so loudly I have to pull the phone away from my ear. Kam glances up at me, concern etched on her face. I mouth, I'll be right back, and step into the corridor to take the call.

"Sir?" I reply, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Turning down the friendly match for Atletico against Barcelona? Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "I'm sorry, Coach. I just... I can't leave right now."

"Can't leave?" he snaps. "Finn, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! You're risking your entire career because you're too busy wallowing in that hospital room!"

"Wallowing?" I let out a bitter laugh, disbelief coursing through me. "My girlfriend is in a coma, and our unborn child was taken from me before I even knew she was pregnant."

I can hear Coach's sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, but I don't care. The words are out, raw and jagged, and I feel them like a punch to the gut. There's a heavy silence, then he sighs, long and frustrated.

"Finn, I get that this is hard, but you need to pull yourself together. Life doesn't stop because of what happened. You have to show your dedication, not just to Lily, but to your career, too. The managers aren't happy. They're saying it's either you get on that plane for the next friendly, or you might as well be off the team. You've got to make a choice, my boy."

Before I can respond he cuts the call, I rest my head against the wall before I hear Kam's panicked voice comes from inside Lily's room.

"Finn! Oh my God, Finn, get in here! She moved!"

My head snaps to the side as I turn and rush back into the room, my heart racing in my chest.

"What happened?" I demand, my voice frantic.

Kam is at Lily's bedside, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and hope. "I saw her fingers twitch," she says, her voice trembling. "I swear, I saw it. She moved."

I don't think. I just act, grabbing Lily's hand in mine, feeling for any sign of life, any hint that she's still in there, fighting to come back to us.

"I'm going to get the doctors, and I'll call Jen and her Mom," Kam says rushing out. "Jen..." I hear her faintly on the phone, outside the room but that doesn't matter right now, I'm focused on Lily.

"Butterfly," I whisper, my voice breaking. "If you can hear me, if you're in there, please give me a sign. Just move your hand, even a little. I'm right here. We're all right here, waiting for you."

The room is silent, the only sound the steady beeping of the monitors and the pounding of my heart in my ears. And then, just as I'm about to lose hope, I feel it—the faintest, slightest squeeze against my fingers. It's barely there, a whisper of a movement, but it's enough.

"Fuck," I breathe, tears springing to my eyes. 

"Lily?" I whisper, hope and disbelief battling inside me. I watch her face, waiting, praying. Did I imagine it? Am I finally losing my mind?

Her fingers move again, a faint, almost imperceptible twitch, but it's there. It's real. My breath catches, and I feel a surge of adrenaline, my heart hammering against my ribs.

"Lily, can you hear me?" I ask, my voice trembling. "If you can hear me, squeeze my hand. Please, just squeeze my hand."

For a moment, nothing happens, and I feel the familiar weight of despair creeping back in. But then, slowly, so slowly I think I might be imagining it, her fingers curl around mine, the faintest pressure, but it's there. It's real.

Her eyelids flutter, the smallest movement, but it's enough to send my heart soaring. I squeeze her hand gently, desperate for more, desperate for anything.

"Finn?"