“Why are you here again?” Eudora asked abruptly, the peaceful atmosphere in the hospital room instantly shattered.
Ryan stood up, his usually stoic face now etched with tension and anxiety, as if caught red-handed.
Before he could explain, Donna, in a weak voice, asked,
“Mom, he gave me a Barbie doll. Can I keep it?”
Though she was asking for her mother's permission, her eyes pleaded intensely, her hands clutching the doll tightly, unwilling to let go.
Eudora knew the gift was expensive, even she couldn't afford it for Donna. But seeing her daughter's happiness, she couldn't bring herself to say no.
“Did you say thank you?”
“Yes, I did,” Donna replied, her face radiating happiness.
Eudora smiled at her daughter, then said to Ryan,
“Let's talk outside for a minute.”
She couldn't
