The night before everything changed, Alexis Castle arrived home from Oxford University, her suitcase rolling behind her as she stepped into the loft. Castle beamed, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Dad, you're suffocating me," she laughed, though her embrace was just as tight.

Kate walked into the room, smiling softly. "Welcome home, Alexis."

Alexis pulled back slightly, studying Kate's face. "Thank you. How's Sara?"

Kate sighed, glancing toward the front door. "She's hanging on, but it's been hard. She's been asking about you. She really wants to meet you."

A somber expression crossed Alexis's face. "Then I should go see her now."

Castle put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "She'd love that. Just be prepared—she's weak, but she's still got that fire in her."

After setting her things down, Alexis made her way downstairs. The air was heavy with quiet beeping from medical equipment. Sara lay in bed, pale but alert, her eyes lighting up when Alexis walked in.

"You're real," Sara whispered, a small smile forming.

Alexis sat beside her, taking her frail hand. "And you're just as fierce as Dad said. I've been looking forward to meeting you."

Sara's smile grew a little. "And I've been looking forward to meeting you too. I have a question for you, though."

Alexis tilted her head slightly. "Anything."

Sara's voice was softer now, more fragile. "Are you open to being a big sister?"

Alexis's throat tightened at the question, but she nodded. "Absolutely. I always wanted a baby brother."

Tears welled in Sara's eyes, and she squeezed Alexis's hand with what little strength she had. "That means everything to me."

Alexis smiled softly. "You know, I got really lucky growing up. My dad... he's an incredible father. He's fun and goofy, but he's also always there when you need him. And Kate—she's amazing. She's strong and brilliant, and my dad has loved her forever. I admire her so much."

Sara's eyes shimmered. "Grayson is going to have the best family."

Alexis nodded. "Yeah, he is. And I'll do everything I can to make sure he knows that."

Kate watched from the doorway, her chest tightening at the sight. Later that night, as Alexis and Kate sat together in the kitchen, sipping tea, Alexis reached out and took Kate's hand.

"I know this has been hard and I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," Alexis said gently. "But I want you to know—I'm here. Whatever you need with Grayson, I'll help in any way I can."

Kate felt tears prickle at her eyes but smiled, squeezing Alexis' hand in return and pulling her into a tight hug. "Your Dad and I wanted you to focus on college. I'm grateful you're here now."

As they stood together, Kate realized how lucky she was to have such a strong, supportive family.

The apartment was quiet a few days later, save for Sara's monitors' soft beeping and the clock's rhythmic ticking on the wall. Morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room where Sara lay, surrounded by those who loved her most.

Dr. Mason had stopped by earlier, his voice gentle but firm as he told them, "It won't be long now. She's comfortable. Just be with her."

Kate had held Sara's hand tightly, her heart aching as she took in the sight of her sister—pale, weak, yet still so present. Jim, Martha, and Rick sat nearby, each lost in their quiet grief but holding strong for Kate and Sara.

That morning, they had brought Grayson in, his tiny fingers curling around Sara's as he sat beside her in Kate's arms. He babbled softly, patting her hand, unaware of the weight of the moment. Sara smiled, her voice barely above a whisper.

"My beautiful boy... Mama loves you."

Kate pressed a kiss to her sister's temple. "We'll make sure he knows. Every day."

Sara's eyes flickered toward Rick, and she mustered a small, grateful smile. "You and Kate… you're the best parents he could have. Thank you for loving him."

Rick, fighting the lump in his throat, nodded. "He'll be the center of our world. I promise."

Jim knelt beside her, taking her free hand. "Sara, you've been such a gift to us. To me. I want you to know that I'll be with Grayson every step of the way. And when my time comes, I hope I'll see you and Joanna again."

Tears slipped down Sara's cheeks. "I know you will."

Kate knew this moment was coming and had prepared herself for it. But now that it was here, it didn't feel real. She had spent so much time fighting for Sara, holding onto hope even when there was none left. Now, all she could do was hold onto her sister's hand and pray that she felt their love and wasn't afraid. Kate's voice broke as she whispered, "Tell Mom hello for me."

Sara's eyes softened as she nodded.

As Sara's final moments neared, she turned to Martha, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, watching everything with misty eyes. "Martha… thank you for being his grandmother. For making him laugh."

Martha pressed a trembling hand to her chest, nodding. "Oh, darling… I will always be here for him."

Sara's gaze then flickered to the doorway. "Where's Alexis?"

Rick's voice was gentle. "She's at the loft with Grayson. She wanted to be here, but we all thought it would be best for her to stay with him."

A small smile touched Sara's lips. "She's his big sister now. Tell her thank you."

Kate leaned in, smoothing back Sara's hair. "It's okay, Sara. We're all here. You can rest."

Sara's fingers curled around Kate's, her breathing slowing. For a moment, she seemed to hold on as if trying to memorize their faces, their voices, the love in the room. The steady beep of the heart monitor began to slow, its rhythm growing fainter with each passing second.

Sara's eyelids fluttered, her breaths slowing to a faint rise and fall. Her grip on Kate's hand weakened, though she didn't let go. The room was still, each holding their breath as they watched over her.

Kate felt Sara's fingers release her hand, and panic clawed at her chest. She wasn't ready. She would never be ready. "Sara… I love you."

Sara's lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something more, but the effort was too much. Her fingers curled slightly in Kate's grasp, her breathing shallow but steady. Jim kissed her forehead, whispering, "It's okay, sweetheart. You can go."

Then, the monitor let out a single, drawn-out tone before falling silent.

Kate let out a quiet sob, pressing her forehead to Sara's hand, unwilling to let go. Jim let out a ragged breath, closing his eyes as he rested his forehead against Sara's hand. Martha, usually so full of words, could only sit back, tears streaming down her face as she whispered, "Oh, my sweet girl."

Rick reached for Kate, and she turned into him, her body trembling with grief. "She's gone," Kate choked out. "She's really gone." The silence that followed was deafening.

"She's with all of her parents now," Jim murmured after a long silence. "She's home."

Kate wiped at her tears, nodding. "Yeah… she is" Kate held tight onto Rick, her tears soaking his shirt. "I just wish we had more time. There's so much I wanted to do with her—share more stories about Mom, take Grayson to the park together, maybe even plan little family holidays to the cabin. But now..."

"She knew how much you loved her," Rick said gently. "And she knew Grayson would be safe with us."

As night fell, Kate found herself standing in the doorway of the nursery, watching Grayson sleep. His tiny chest rose and fell, peaceful, untouched by the grief that had swallowed the rest of them.

Rick came up behind her, resting a hand on her back. "She's still here," he whispered. "In him. In you."

Kate exhaled, nodding as she wiped at her tears. "Yeah… she is."