Chapter 2

Rodney showed up a little while later.

"How's Sheldon doing? Is he going to be okay?" Rodney panted, barely catching his breath.

Portia clung to Rodney as if she'd finally found someone to lean on, breaking down in tears. "Sheldon's still in surgery. It looks really bad. Who knows if he'll even pull through?"

Then she snapped at me, "Your wife wouldn't even help her own son. She's so cold-blooded."

Rodney shot me a harsh look, his face tight with frustration as he demanded, "Jasmine, what exactly happened?"

I repeated impatiently, "It happened so quickly that I could only save one of them."

"So why did you choose not to save Sheldon?" he demanded.

"Why? Why do you keep asking?" I snapped, glaring at the whole family. "You all act like Sheldon's the only one who matters. What about Eileen? Doesn't her life count for anything? If it were Eileen lying in there, would any of you even care?"

Just then, the doors to the operating room burst open.

Sheldon was wheeled out. He was stable for now, but the head injury was serious, and both legs were gone. He would be spending the next days in the ICU.

Hearing the news, the Fletcher family fell to pieces. Portia and Zella broke down sobbing behind their hands, and even Rodney's eyes looked bloodshot with grief.

But while they were all wrapped up in Sheldon, I turned to Eileen, who was quietly crying. I gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder and said softly, "Hey, Eileen, don't cry. Sheldon's going to be okay. How about we go grab something to eat?"

She wiped her tears away and shook her head.

I switched tactics and said, "Then how about coming to eat with me? I'm really, really hungry."

Eileen glanced at the Fletcher family, bit her lip, and then finally nodded.

*****

We ended up at KFC, and I ordered all of Eileen's favorite dishes.

But Eileen barely touched her plate. Her little face was clouded with worry.

I wanted to comfort her, but I had no idea what to say. For a kid like her, seeing Sheldon hurt so badly must have shattered her little world.

"Aunt Jasmine, why didn't you save Sheldon?" she asked.

Her question hit me out of nowhere. I was stunned for a bit and then managed a weak smile. "Didn't I just tell you, Eileen? I could only save one person."

"But Sheldon's your own son," she whispered.

Her eyes were lost and guilty, as if she was scared she'd stolen away the health that belonged to Sheldon.

I pulled myself together and said seriously, "Eileen, tell me honestly. If I'd saved Sheldon instead of you, would you have felt bad?"

Eileen thought about it and said, "If I lost my legs, I'd definitely be sad. But if you didn't save me, I wouldn't feel bad. Sheldon's your real son. You were supposed to save him first."

She was just a little kid, but she was already so selfless that it made my heart ache.

Sheldon was the same age as Eileen, maybe just a few minutes older, but compared to her, he was a real little hellraiser.

I used to just think Eileen was well-behaved, but I'd never wondered what kind of life could make a kid so obedient.

"Eileen, you're really, really important to me, way more than Sheldon," I said.

Eileen blinked, clearly puzzled. "How come?"

"Sheldon's got a whole crowd looking out for him. He doesn't need me like you do," I told her.

Eileen hesitated, her eyes lowering sadly as she poked at her food. "Yeah, Mom and the others all like Sheldon the best."

"That's right. Since there are so many people loving Sheldon already, that means I get to love you even more. So, Eileen, will you let me spoil you a little extra?" I asked.

Eileen nodded eagerly. "Yes!"

"So you have to eat up, alright? No more being sad, and don't make me worry about you," I coaxed.

"Sure!" Eileen said.

Finally, Eileen managed to pick up her fork and eat a few bites.

Whenever Eileen came over to my home, she'd always eye Sheldon's snacks and toys with obvious envy. If I took them both out, she'd watch Sheldon go wild, ordering whatever he wanted and buying all sorts of things, but she'd never ask for anything.

She was crazy about KFC, though. Every time I brought her there, she just couldn't hide how excited she was.

Back then, I just couldn't figure it out. Everyone knew Portia preferred boys, but Zella was Eileen's own mom. Why was she so harsh with her little girl?

For ages, I thought it was just because Zella was raising Eileen on her own. Maybe all that resentment she had for Eileen's dad somehow got dumped into Eileen, which was why she couldn't bring herself to show Eileen much love.