Uncle Raymond looked stricken. I desperately wished I’d gone with Mom and Dad. This felt like a private moment. But there was no way for me to excuse myself now without looking like a massive d**k.
“Not necessarily, baby. There’s a chance—”
She scoffed. “Roy, don’t.”
“There is.”
“Four percent isn’t a chance. It’s a sentence.” Her eyes welled up again, and then she shook her head like a dog drying itself. Like she could shake off her tears. “I need you to promise me something. Promise me you won’t let anyone tell them they aren’t beautiful. You, too, Ollie.”
I nodded mutely.
Her voice choked. “I was told I wasn’t beautiful when I was little. But they’re the most beautiful children in the world. They’re smart, and funny, and creative. I won’t be here to remind them, so you have to. Bot
