Chapter 4

We had originally ordered a simple home-cooked meal, but after Ian arrived, Thea added a seafood platter.

She tried to coax her daughter, saying, "Mia, how about I peel some shrimp for you?"

Mia froze. I immediately put my hand over her plate.

"She can't eat shrimp."

Only then did Thea seem to remember. Her hands stopped for a moment.

When Mia was five, she'd accidentally eaten some salad that contained shrimp and had an allergic reaction. Thea had spent the entire night at the hospital with her. After that, we'd even kept separate cutting boards in the kitchen.

Thea could remember how much Ian had at stake if he was disqualified, yet she'd forgotten what her own daughter could or couldn't eat.

She smiled awkwardly and quickly changed the topic.

"I won't peel any then, but how about we let Ian keep the bracelet for now? He really likes it.

"And if you sing with him later, I will take you to buy a new cake tomorrow."

Mia slowly put down her spoon.

"Mommy, do you only remember that I'm your daughter when you need me to help him?"

Thea's expression darkened.

"Don't talk like your father."

In the heat of the argument, she absentmindedly reached for Mia's plate with the same hand she'd used to handle the shrimp, intending to slide it closer to her.

Mia took two bites. Soon afterward, she lost consciousness and began convulsing.

Thea dropped to her knees and gathered the child into her arms. Her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn't even dial 911 properly.

When the ambulance arrived downstairs, the project team sent over their final notice. If Ian didn't submit the sample video on time, he'd lose his place in tomorrow's showcase.

I scooped Mia into my arms and turned to Thea.

"Come with us."

Thea followed me to the elevator but stopped right at the door.

"You take her first. I'll finish recording Ian's part and go straight to the hospital."

Tears streamed down her face, but her voice grew increasingly frantic.

"She has you and her emergency medication. The ambulance is already here too. But if Ian misses his chance tonight, he'll never get another one."

Mia was still leaning against my chest, struggling to breathe. Yet, she heard every single word.

She held up the voucher, its paper softened by sweat.

"Mommy, I can't use this today either?"

Thea reached out to take it, but the elevator doors closed between them.

It wasn't until we reached the hospital that Mia finally handed me the crumpled paper.

"Daddy, throw it away.

"Everything Mommy promises me always comes after everyone else."

After Mia was rushed into the ER, I finally noticed that the back of my shirt was completely soaked.

A nurse handed me the admission form and asked me to fill in the emergency contact information.

I looked at Thea's name, crossed it out, and replaced it with my sister's instead.

At 1:00 am, Mia was finally stable.

When she woke up, she didn't ask for her mother. She only asked me to close the hospital room door.

Every time she heard footsteps outside, her fingers would tense, but she never lifted her head to look.

Thea sent me more than a dozen messages.

The first few were all explanations about how unexpected the project review was. Only in the last one did she finally ask, "Is Mia stable?"

I didn't reply.