Noah paced back and forth in his mother’s living room, the tension between them growing thicker with every step he took. The ornate clock on the wall ticked loudly, each second feeling like a hammer striking his nerves. His mother, Mrs. Allen, sat rigidly on the couch, her hands clasped in her lap, her mouth pressed into a thin, disapproving line.
“You need to stop this, Noah,” she said for what felt like the hundredth time, her voice calm but insistent. “Going to see her every day isn’t going to change anything.”
Noah stopped pacing and turned to face her, his eyes blazing with a mixture of frustration and desperation. “How can you say that, Mom? Laura is in the hospital because of me. I should have been there to protect her.”
Mrs. Allen sighed, shaking her head. “It’s not your fault,
