13

As Alex turned to leave his mother's ward, he heard a soft melody that seemed to be coming from down the hallway. His curiosity piqued, he followed the sound to its source, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Elizabeth sitting in a corner, playing her guitar for the other patients in the hospital.

For a moment, Alex stood there, watching her, his heart filled with pride and admiration. Despite everything that was going on in their lives, Elizabeth still found the time to bring joy and comfort to those who were suffering, and that was one of the things he loved most about her.

As he leaned in to give her a kiss, he caught the disapproving look on his father's face and his heart sank. Over the years, he had become used to his father's indifference towards his mother's illness, but it still hurt to see him turn a blind eye to his own wife's suffering.

Desperately, Alex tried to engage his father in conversation, but he was met with stony silence. It was as if his dad didn't even acknowledge his presence, and Alex felt a sense of overwhelming sadness and helplessness.

Taking a deep breath, he turned back towards Elizabeth and began to sing along to her tune. As they played and sang together, the other patients in the ward joined in, their voices rising in unison to fill the room with music and joy. It was a small moment of beauty and hope amidst the darkness and despair of the hospital, but in that instant, Alex knew that he had found something worth fighting for.

Gently taking Elizabeth's hand, he led her out of the ward, his heart beating with a sense of purpose and determination. Some may have called him foolish for love, or misguided for prioritizing his personal life over his professional one, but to Alex, it was all worth it. For every note that he played and every song that he sang, he was reminded of the power of love and the possibility of hope, and he knew that nothing would ever be the same again.