I gave them Marissa’s.

Then I watched the nurse’s expression change when I handed over the orange bottle and the note.

She didn’t gasp. Professionals rarely do. She placed both items in a clear plastic bag, labeled it, and asked the security officer to document who had received it.

The clock on the wall said 2:41 a.m. That number stayed with me.

There are moments when your family becomes a case file before you’re ready to admit it.

Lily was taken behind a curtain. Mason sat beside me in the waiting area, wrapped in a hospital blanket, staring at the dead tablet in his lap.