Chapter 4

I went home with my mom, then returned to the utility room alone. Mom didn't say a word and slammed the door shut.

Mom took Heidi to the amusement park, leaving me alone at home.

Mom didn't throw the leftovers into the trash. Instead, she sniffed them and put them in the pot.

Then the phone at home rang. I answered the phone, and urgent words poured out: "Mrs. Hardin, we discovered today that Madilyn's slow reactions are a symptom of a hereditary brain disease.

"Her fall triggered its onset, and your daughter will not live for more than two…