“I found the appointment card,” I said, my voice tightening. “Why did you cancel it?”
He exhaled sharply. “Because he didn’t need it. He was fine. You always overreact.”
“My insurance doesn’t cover it anymore,” he added quickly. “I would’ve had to pay out of pocket.”
I stood up, anger rising fast and hot.
“I would have paid for it,” I said. “Without hesitation.”
“You turn everything into a crisis,” he snapped.
“Maybe that’s what kept him alive,” I shot back.
The line went dead.
I stood there in the silence, shaking, surrounded by pieces of something I didn’t yet fully understand.
Then I remembered my phone.
I hadn’t checked everything.
Scrolling through my notifications, I saw it.
A message I had missed.
A video from Liam.
Timestamped just fifteen minutes before Eric’s call from the ER.
My breath caught as I pressed play.
Liam’s face filled the screen. He looked pale, his expression strained.
“Hey, Mom,” he said softly. “I don’t feel good. My chest hurts, and I feel dizzy.”
My heart shattered.
