It was quite frightening.” I did not raise my voice, and I did not perform my distress; I simply reported it, the age, the number, the hospital, the fear, in the plain even tone of a mother describing a hard week, and let the facts sit in the middle of that elegant staged table for everyone to see.

I turned my head and looked directly at my husband.

“Isn’t that right, Liam?

Though, come to think of it, you wouldn’t actually know how her recovery is going.

You haven’t asked about her once since that night.”

Chapter 26 — I Chose Hazel

The dining room went very still.

Martin had stopped chewing.