My Ten-Year-Old’s Pregnancy Test Was Positive –

The rabbit remained in my arms.

And we waited to learn the name of the thing growing inside my daughter.

Chapter Six

What the Test Had Really Found

The biopsy lasted three hours.

Daniel paced the waiting room. Eric sat beneath the television with his elbows on his knees. Neither man spoke.

When the neurosurgeon finally appeared, I knew Sophie was alive because he was walking instead of running.

“The procedure went as planned,” he said. “She is awake.”

My legs nearly gave way.

“Did you remove the tumor?”

“Removing it now would risk damaging structures involved in vision and hormone regulation. Today’s goal was diagnosis.”

We were allowed to see Sophie one at a time. She was sleepy and pale, with a small bandage hidden near her hairline.

Her first question was not about the surgery.

“Did Daniel’s school let him come back?”

SOON....