Dr. Andrew had just finished his shift at the hospital. He stepped outside, loosened his white coat, and stretched his arms. The day had been long, filled with back-to-back patients and nonstop paperwork. He looked around, ready to walk toward his car.
That’s when he saw her.
“Mom?” he said, stopping in his tracks.
Agnes was standing near the hospital entrance, wearing a light brown sweater and holding her purse tightly in front of her. Her face looked tired. Her eyes looked sad.
Andrew walked toward her quickly. “Mom, what are you doing here?”
Agnes looked up at him. “Can we talk, Andrew?”
Andrew frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“Let’s talk somewhere else,” she said softly. “Not here.”
Andrew nodded. “Okay. There’s a café just around the corner. Come on.”
They walked in silence, ne
