-MIA-
"Please, come in."
Dr. Miller welcomed us, her warm smile softening the tension as she opened the door to her office.
My mom and I dropped into the black plastic chairs across from her desk, waiting for her to settle in. She’d asked us to come in to talk about my mom’s condition.
I was on edge. My heart thudded steadily, but my palms were slick with sweat despite the icy air conditioning. The last time I sat in this office, I left shattered. That day, Dr. Miller told me the surgery my mom needed wasn’t fully covered by insurance.
And I was expected to cover the rest.
Sure, I could’ve tried negotiating with the hospital or appealing the decision. But that would take time, something my mom didn’t have. The tumor pressing against her artery wasn’t going to wait.
I was drowning in
