“You’ve been hoping this would get better on its own.

It won’t.”

I looked at Hailey sleeping with one hand curled around the edge of her blanket.

For the first time, I stopped hoping Brenda would explain everything away.

PART 4

We drove to the emergency department for the eye assessment before going to Rachel’s.

A clinician examined Hailey carefully and, after confirming the eye itself showed no immediately apparent serious injury, arranged follow-up with a pediatric eye specialist.

The wound beside her eyebrow, the swollen tissue, and her frightened silence were enough to make me grateful for every small reassuring fact.