Chapter 2
The day after Andy was admitted to the hospital, Emily came by.
I was sitting by Andy's bed, peeling an apple, when I heard the sound of high heels clicking closer and closer.
She pushed the door open and walked in, carrying a bag of fruit.
"How's Andy doing?" Emily asked.
There was just a trace of concern in her voice, barely enough to notice.
It sounded like she was just asking about the weather.
I didn't look up, just kept peeling the apple.
"He's got a mild concussion and some bruises all over," I said.
"Oh, that's good," Emily said, setting the fruit down on the nightstand and giving Andy a quick glance.
Andy was awake.
When he saw Emily walk in, his eyes flickered for a moment, then he turned his head toward the window.
He didn't even call her "Mom."
Emily paused for a moment, then walked over and gently patted his head. "Andy, Mom's here to see you."
Andy didn't move.
It was as if her words didn't even register.
Emily's hand froze in midair, then she awkwardly pulled it back.
She glanced at me and said, "Is this kid still in shock or something?"
I sliced the peeled apple into small pieces and set them on the little plate by Andy's pillow.
"He's doing better now," I said.
"Then why is he ignoring me?" Emily asked.
I finally looked up at her.
Emily had makeup on today. Just a bit, but still, she made the effort.
Who put on makeup just to visit their kid in the hospital?
"Who was that little girl you were holding at the preschool yesterday?" I asked.
Emily's expression noticeably paused for a split second.
It was barely a blink.
But I caught it.
"Just some kid," she said, her voice a little shaky. "She fell and was crying, so I just picked her up."
She said she just picked her up, like it was no big deal.
"You just picked up someone else's kid without a second thought, and let go of your own son just as easily," I said, keeping my voice steady. "Emily, which hand was it?"
Her face changed. "What are you trying to say? It was chaos, kids were crying everywhere, I panicked..."
"So you panicked and pulled Andy's hand away?" I pressed.
"I didn't pull his hand away! I just loosened my grip for a second! I thought he was old enough to manage on his own..." she said.
I cut her off. "He's five.
"That little girl you scooped up so casually? She's five too, just like Andy. Why could she not run by herself, but Andy was supposed to?"
Emily bit her lip and didn't say a word.
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
Suddenly, Andy spoke up.
"I grabbed your hand four times," Andy said.
He didn't even look at Emily, just kept his eyes on the window.
His voice was so soft, one could barely hear it.
"The first time, you let go of me. The second time, you pushed me away again. The third time, I grabbed you with both hands, but you peeled my fingers off, one by one. The fourth time..."
He paused.
"The fourth time, I was already knocked down and trampled. You never looked back."
Emily's face went ghostly pale. "Andy, I didn't mean to, I really didn't..."
"I don't want to hear it," Andy said, hiding his face under the covers.
Emily stood there, her fingers clutching the edge of her clothes so hard her knuckles turned white.
I stood up, walked to the door, and pulled it open.
"You should go home," I said.
"David, what are you trying to do? Are you really going to take Andy and sulk with me?" Emily said.
"I'm not sulking," I said, looking at her. "I just have something on my mind."
"What is it?" she asked.
"Who is that girl, really?" I asked.
Emily's pupils contracted for a split second. "I told you, she's just an ordinary kid..."
"When you panicked, you called her by name," I said.
I looked right into Emily's eyes. "When you rushed over, you shouted 'Lily.' And when you knelt down to hold her, you told her, 'Mommy's here.'"
Emily froze, like she'd just been struck by lightning.
"The whole hallway was so noisy, did you really think I wouldn't hear you?" I said.
I laughed bitterly.
"Emily, whose child is she, really?" I pressed.
Her lips trembled, but she couldn't get a single word out.
I already knew the answer deep down.
It was a ridiculous answer.
But until today, that thought had never even crossed my mind.
Because I trusted her.
Six years married, and for every one of those years, I believed in her.