I had my head down, holding my husband's hand. He still hadn't woken up, even thirty-six hours after surgery. The doctor had just told me he was stable and all we could do was wait, when I felt his hand squeeze mine lightly. I lifted my head and immediately looked at him, seeing that pair of violet eyes light up again.

"Alessandro, my love! Finally..." I smiled at him. "I'll call the doctor. Don't move and don't move anything."

I went to the nurses' desk opposite the ICU bed where my husband wa