“I know. I’m sorry. I’m not angry with you.”
Hailey touched my wrist.
“Mom.”
“We drove all night for this.”
“Mom.”
“We were told there was nothing more they could do. They can’t drag us back to the hospital just because someone suddenly wants to run one more test.”
“Don’t worry, Mom.”
That made me stop.
My childhood stutter was beginning to return. Stress always brought it back, especially when I was frightened or angry.
I closed my eyes.
Hailey squeezed my hand.
“If Dr. Carter sent a park ranger to find us, maybe this isn’t another goodbye.”
I looked at her.
“Y-you want to go back?”
“First, I want to see the sunrise.”
And we did.
The canyon slowly turned golden beneath us. Hailey rested her head on my shoulder.
Then she whispered, “Okay. We can go now.”
Six hours later, I walked into Dr. Carter’s office with Hailey beside me.
