Evelyn froze, her father's words sinking in like a dagger.

"What?" Her voice cracked, trembling with disbelief. "No that can't be true. Mom can't die!" She cried, refusing to believe what she was hearing.

On the other end of the line, her father's voice was thick with anguish. "Her heart stopped. The doctors they did all they could."

Evelyn felt the room spin. Her vision blurred as tears welled in her eyes. "I-I'm coming to the hospital now. I don't believe you!" she choked out. Without waiting for a response, she hung up and threw her phone on the bed.

The woman who had stepped into her life after her mother's death, who had tried, in her own way, to be a mother to her and had supported her against Sandra, was gone? It was impossible.

She refused to accept it. Her heart pounded, and tears blurred her vision as she quickly pulled on her discarded clothes. Without fully zipping her dress, she headed for the door.

Before she could open it, Derek walked in with a tray of food. He frowned at her fully dressed state. "What's wrong? Where are—"

"I'm going to the hospital! I have to go!" she cried, bolting from the room.

Derek quickly set down the tray, grabbed his car keys, and ran after her. "What's going on? Did someone call?" he asked, hurrying to catch up as she ran down the stairs.

"My mom…" she sobbed, stumbling. "Dad said she's… she's… I have to go back to the hospital," she said, unable to utter the word dead in relation to her stepmother.

"Let's go," he said, matching her pace.

The drive to the hospital felt endless. Evelyn sat in the passenger seat, her knuckles white as she gripped the hem of Derek's jacket. Tears streamed down her face, and she muttered incoherent prayers. "She can't be gone," she whispered, her voice breaking.

Derek placed a steadying hand on her knee. "We'll get there. Just hold on, okay?"

At the hospital, Evelyn sprinted through the corridors, leaving Derek behind. Her father stood outside Claire's room, his face pale, his shoulders slumped in defeat as he cried silently.

"Dad!" Evelyn cried, running to him. "Where is she? Let me see her!"

Her father looked up, his face streaked with tears. "Evelyn…" he choked out, pulling her into a hug. Evelyn pushed past him, desperate to reach Claire. She shoved open the door with trembling hands.

Although Evelyn dreaded the sight of Claire, it didn't stop her from stepping closer and pulling down the sheet covering her face. Her knees threatened to give way as her gaze fell on Claire's pale face. She looked serene, as though asleep, but her stillness was unbearable.

Evelyn pressed a hand to her mouth, her world spinning. Claire, gone? It didn't feel real. She took another shaky step forward, reaching out to the woman who had always been a quiet, steady presence in her life.

"You can't do this to me, Mom. I refuse to lose you! You can't leave me! I won't let you!" Evelyn cried, collapsing onto Claire's body. "What am I supposed to do if you die this way? This is so unfair! Are you trying to punish me for something? Why do I have to lose you?" Her tears flowed freely.

The door opened, and Derek and Eric walked in, but neither intervened, despite their urge to do so.

"I need you, Mom! Please. I need you. Please don't leave me this way. I will forgive Sandra. I will do whatever you want, but please don't leave me. What am I supposed to tell Samantha? I need you! You can't just go this way, please," Evelyn cried, sobbing uncontrollably. Suddenly, a faint sound broke the tension—a rasping breath. Evelyn froze, her heart skipping a beat.

"Dad… did you hear that?"

Her father looked up, startled. "What are you talking about?"

The sound came again—a shallow, uneven breath. Claire's chest rose faintly. Derek hurried out to get the doctor. "Mom!" Evelyn gasped, her grief-stricken face transforming into one of shock. "Dad, she's alive!" Her father rushed to the bed, his hands trembling as he reached for Claire.

"She's breathing!"

"What… how?" he asked as the door burst open, and a nurse rushed in, followed by a doctor. "Step back, please!" the doctor ordered.

Evelyn and her father moved aside as the medical team worked. Evelyn's heart pounded as she watched the doctor check Claire's vitals. The nurse hooked her up to a monitor, and the faint beep of a heartbeat filled the room.

"She's stable," the doctor announced. "Her pulse is weak, but it's there."

"How… how is this possible?" Evelyn asked, her voice shaky.

The doctor turned to her. "It was a rare medical situation. I believe she experienced what's known as Lazarus syndrome."

Evelyn stared at him, bewildered. "What does that even mean?"

The doctor adjusted his glasses. "It's an extremely rare phenomenon where a patient's heart stops, and after failed resuscitation, they are presumed dead. However, minutes—or even hours—later, the heart can spontaneously restart. It's caused by a buildup of pressure in the chest during CPR that eventually releases, allowing the heart to restart. In her case, her vital signs were so faint they were undetectable, even with medical equipment…"

"So you made a mistake?" Derek asked, clearly upset.

"It's more complicated than that," the doctor replied, uncomfortable. "Her vital signs were nonexistent for over ten minutes, and all attempts to revive her failed. We followed protocol. But then…" He gestured to Claire.

"You thought she was gone! You told me she was gone!" Eric said, his voice trembling.

"I understand your frustration," the doctor said calmly. "But the important thing is that she's alive now. We'll monitor her closely."

"Yes," the doctor confirmed. "It's as miraculous as it is rare. And we're monitoring her closely to ensure there are no further complications."

Evelyn collapsed into a chair. Tears streamed down her face. Relief and shock warred within her. "She's alive!" she whispered. Her father knelt beside her, his face wet with tears. "She's alive," he echoed.

As the nurses adjusted Claire's IV, Evelyn reached for her stepmother's hand. "Thank you, Mom. Thank you for not leaving me," she whispered. Claire uttered briefly, "She's waking up!"

The doctor checked her reflexes. "Can you hear me?"

Claire's lips parted, and a faint sound emerged. Evelyn leaned in, holding her breath as her stepmother's eyes flickered open.

"Evie… Sandra…" Claire rasped, her voice weak but unmistakable.

Evelyn burst into tears, gripping Claire's hand. "I'm here. I'm here. You're going to be fine."

Her father moved closer. "I thought I'd lost you," he said, his voice trembling.

Claire's gaze moved between them. "I… I'm still here," she whispered.

Evelyn nodded, her tears falling freely. "Yes, you are. Thank you. Thank you for not leaving me," Evelyn cried. She exhaled deeply. Claire was alive. And no matter how rare or miraculous the explanation, she would hold onto her mother and never let her go.