She wakes up so calm and casual it’s like nothing is wrong. “Harper.”
There’s a lurch in my throat, and I can taste stale coffee and hope. “Mom! You’re awake. Let me call the nurse. Are you in pain? Are you hungry?”
“No—Harper, wait. I don’t need anything.”
My stomach sinks. “What can I do?”
“Can you just…?” She blinks, a little too fast to be normal. “I lied about the plan. About being okay with everything. I’m afraid, baby, but it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Tears leak down my face. There’s no pantry or closet to hide in. No pillow to scream my pain into. There’s only her thin body to hold, and she holds me back, her hands shaking.
“I was—” She pauses, seeming to struggle to find the words. “I was looking up. With your father I was looking up, and I could never walk again.”
For a terri
