Chapter 2
The ambulance ride was a blur.
I held Lily's hand while the paramedics worked on her.
Her skin was pale.
Her breathing was shallow.
Ryan sat across from me, his face white as a sheet.
He kept whispering her name.
At the hospital, they rushed Lily into the emergency room.
A nurse told us to wait in the waiting area.
That's when I saw Diane walk through the automatic doors.
She had fixed her hair.
She was carrying her purse like she was going shopping.
Ryan stood up.
"What are you doing here?"
Diane looked around the waiting room.
"I came to see my granddaughter."
"Get out," I said.
My voice was colder than I had ever heard it.
Diane turned to me.
"Sarah, you're overreacting. It was just a little shrimp."
Ryan stepped between us.
"Mom, she almost died. Because of you."
"Almost," Diane said. "She's fine now. Children are resilient."
I felt my blood boil.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to hit her.
Instead, I said, "Noah told the police everything."
Diane's smile faded.
"What police?"
"The ones who came to the house," Ryan said. "They're investigating this as child endangerment."
Diane laughed.
It was a sharp, ugly sound.
"Child endangerment? For feeding my granddaughter dinner? You two are being ridiculous."
A doctor walked into the waiting room.
We all turned.
"Mr. and Mrs. Thompson?"
"That's us," Ryan said.
The doctor's face was serious.
"Lily is stable. We were able to reverse the reaction, but her airways were severely compromised. She's going to need to stay with us for at least forty-eight hours for observation."
"Can we see her?" I asked.
"One at a time," the doctor said. "She's very tired."
I looked at Ryan.
"You go first."
Ryan nodded and followed the doctor down the hallway.
That left me alone with Diane.
She sat down next to me.
"Sarah, we need to talk about this."
I didn't look at her.
"About how you tried to kill my daughter?"
"I didn't try to kill anyone," Diane whispered harshly. "I just wanted to teach you a lesson. You've been treating this allergy like it's some kind of shield. Like you're the perfect mother because you carry an EpiPen everywhere. It's exhausting."
I finally turned to her.
Her eyes were cold.
There was no remorse.
No guilt.
Just anger.
"You think this was about me?"
"It's always about you," Diane said. "Everything with you is a performance. 'Look at me, I'm such a good mom.' I'm Lily's grandmother. I know what's best for her."
"She almost died," I repeated.
"But she didn't," Diane said. "And now we all know she's fine. You can stop being so dramatic about it."
I stood up.
"If you come near my children again, I will call the police myself."
Diane stood too.
"You can't keep me from my grandchildren."
"Watch me."
Ryan came back then.
His eyes were red.
He had been crying.
"She's asking for you, Sarah."
I went to Lily's room without looking back at Diane.
My daughter was lying in the hospital bed.
Tubes and wires were everywhere.
She looked so small.
So fragile.
"Mommy," she whispered.
I sat beside her and held her hand.
"I'm here, baby. I'm right here."
"Grandma…" she started.
I squeezed her hand gently.
"It's okay. You're safe now."
"She said it was medicine," Lily said. "She said the shrimp would make my allergy go away."
My heart shattered.
Diane had manipulated her own granddaughter.
She had told Lily it was medicine.
That it would help her.
I kissed Lily's forehead.
"Get some rest, sweetie. Everything is going to be okay."
She closed her eyes.
I stayed there, holding her hand, while the machines beeped around us.
Outside the room, I heard voices.
Diane was arguing with someone.
Then I heard Ryan.
"Mom, you need to leave. Now."
"I'm not leaving until I see my granddaughter!"
Two police officers walked past the room.
They were heading toward the waiting area.
I knew then.
May you like
This wasn't over.
It was just beginning.
