Chapter 2

I fell heavily to the ground, and my head struck the bedside table with a sharp crack. A wave of intense dizziness washed over me.

From the other side of the hospital bed, I could hear them speaking, but their voices were warped and distant, as if they belonged to another world entirely.

"Liam, what is wrong with you? How could you push your own mother?" Jonah shouted, raising his hand as though to punish him.

Suzanne immediately clung to his arm. "He's just a child, Jonah! Don't you dare!"

I knew it was just for show. Jonah would never actually hit Liam.

Fear flashed across Liam's face, but he lifted his chin defiantly. "She was being mean to Suz! I did the right thing!"

A loud slap echoed through the room, and everyone froze in disbelief. They all stared at me, unable to process what I had just done.

My forehead was split open, and blood was already trickling down to my neck.

Liam's head jerked to the side from the impact, and his pale cheek was stamped with a red handprint. In the blink of an eye, he burst into tears.

"How dare you hit me! I hate you! You're the worst mommy ever!"

He ran out of the door, crying uncontrollably.

Suzanne hurried after him.

Jonah looked at me in disbelief. After a long moment, he finally said, "Jenna, you love Liam more than anything. How could you…"

I said nothing. All I could feel was the stinging heat spreading across my palm.

I knew exactly why Jonah looked so stunned.

Liam was my child, and I used to cry over the tiniest cut on his finger. When he was just learning to walk, I followed him around like a shadow, terrified that he might fall. I had always been protective of Liam.

When other kids bullied him at kindergarten, I would show up and fight for him every time. I never let him endure even a moment of unfairness.

Liam and I had always been incredibly close, ever since he was a baby. He called me "Mommy" before he could say anything else.

And the first time he ever formed a sentence, he said, "I love you best, Mommy."

He used to make me warm honey lemon tea when I was on my period. He would warm his tiny hands and place them gently over my belly to ease the pain.

He always said he loved me more than anyone, even his father, but that all changed this year.

Now, all because Suzanne liked snakes, he had swapped my gift without a single thought for my fear. And when I wouldn't accept her flowers, he shoved me off the bed.

My heart ached for just a moment, but the feeling passed quickly.

Jonah studied my face intently, searching for a trace of regret or sorrow. To his shock, he found nothing at all.

A flicker of confusion passed through his eyes. He reached for my hand and flinched at how cold it was.

"Liam didn't mean to push you. Suzanne has spent a lot of time playing with him lately. He just thinks of her as a friend, so he misunderstood and thought you were bullying her. Don't be too hard on him…

"Once you're out of the hospital, why don't we take a family portrait together?"

The words "family portrait" made me pause. As a child, I had always envied other kids when I saw them taking photos with their parents.

However, Dad was always buried in endless work.

We never took that family portrait. Dad kept postponing it until my mother died, and by then it was too late.

The longing for it had lingered with me ever since.

Before I could say anything, Liam shouted from the doorway, "I don't want to take pictures with her! I want a family portrait with Suz!"

Suzanne looked down, pretending to be shy. "Is that really alright? I've never taken a family portrait before."

Jonah turned to me. I was still glued to my phone.

"Go ahead," I said without looking up.

A wave of emptiness washed over him. He tried to pat my head, but I shifted aside. His hand froze in the space between us, and he sounded slightly displeased. "You're okay with this?"

"Yes," I replied firmly.

He walked to the door, then stopped and looked back.

"Jenna, if you ask me to stay, I will."

I looked up and smiled.

"I don't mind at all. I hope you have a good time."

Jonah's expression darkened. He stormed off, as if to prove a point.

Soon, I could hear the three of them laughing and talking just outside the door.

Suzanne put on her usual sweet act. "Are you sure it's alright if it's just the three of us? Maybe we should wait for Jenna…"

Jonah replied flatly, "It's fine. We can always do another one after she's discharged."

Liam cheered, "Awesome! I want to stand right in the middle!"

Their voices gradually faded, and soon, the room fell silent.

I touched my chest and found only peace there.