“Oh, Colette, look at your head! Oh my god!”
My mother had come barreling into my tiny room in the emergency department, her deep red hair wild and her cheeks flushed. Her eyes were panicked.
Her hands flitted all around my head, trying to find a place for them to land.
Gently, I grabbed her wrists. “I’m fine, Mom. Calm down, okay?”
“How on earth did you fall down the stairs? Oh god, has a doctor seen you yet?”
I tried my hardest to look my mother in the eye and be reassuring. “I got tripped up on these heels, Mom. Yes, Doctor Heindell was there and stitched me up right there. I’m just waiting on a cat scan just to be safe. I’m okay, I promise.”
My mother ran her hand along my hairline and examined the gash on my head, before letting out a sagging breath. “This looks so bad,” my mot
