Finally, Diane said, “You need to see what your son has done.”
My stomach dropped.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know how to explain it over the phone.”
Her breathing sounded uneven.
“Diane, you’re frightening me.”
“Just come, Rachel. Please.”
Then she ended the call.
For several seconds, I stood frozen with the phone pressed against my ear.
My mind immediately produced every possible disaster.
Had Aaron argued with a doctor?
Had he upset Lily?
Had he posted something private online?
Had he interfered with her treatment?
Diane’s words repeated inside my head.
You need to see what your son has done.
I grabbed my keys and rushed out without taking a coat.
During the drive, my hands trembled against the steering wheel.
Every red light felt unbearably long. Every slow car seemed deliberately placed in my path.
By the time I reached the hospital, my heart was pounding.
The automatic doors opened, and I hurried inside.
Diane was waiting in the hallway with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She did not greet me or even attempt to smile.
“Come with me,” she said.
I followed her past the reception desk and down a bright corridor that smelled of disinfectant.
“Please tell me what happened,” I said. “Did Aaron hurt someone? Did he say something to Lily?”
Diane continued walking.
“He crossed a boundary.”
I stopped.
“A boundary?”
She turned toward me.
“It didn’t end with him shaving his head.”
“What does that mean?”
“Lily is a private person. Now everyone on this floor is talking about her. People have opinions. People are telling stories. They’re looking into her room.”
Anger began replacing my fear.
“You called me as though there had been an emergency. I drove here believing your daughter might have—”
I could not finish the sentence.
Diane’s expression hardened.
“Maybe Aaron should have thought more carefully before making decisions involving someone else.”
I stared at her.
“Do not blame my son for trying to support your daughter.”
“I’m not blaming him for supporting her.”
“That’s exactly what it sounds like.”
My voice was rising, and I forced myself to lower it.
“He has been here almost every day for months. He brings her food. He helps with schoolwork. He sits beside her when she is too tired to speak. He has missed practices and barely sleeps.”
“I know what he does,” Diane snapped.
