Adam and his mother talked about the family's trip to the mall and their plans for the rest of the day. When he finished his drink, the pair moved on to find his father. They found him on the third floor talking to a woman who seemed very comfortable around him.
"I'll leave how to approach us up to you." His mother said as she walked briskly to his father's side.
Adam watched as his mother moved in alongside his father, slipping her hand into his and drawing his attention away from the woman. His father looked relieved to see her and drew her into the shelter of his arm as he introduced the two women.
Adam dipped into his new bag and pulled out his handheld. He turned the device on and walked up to the adults, seemingly preoccupied.
"Adam!" his mother called sternly as she pulled him to her.
"Where did you find him?" His father asked, locking eyes with his mother.
"The game store. You didn't give him enough for his game."
"Games were $15 when I was a boy."
"They're $60 now."
"What exactly did you get, Adam?"
Adam excitedly dipped into his bag and pulled out the new game for his father. To onlookers, this was a normal family interaction. A couple with their normal 10-year-old son on a normal outing at the mall.
"You have a child?" the woman asked.
Her sadness betrayed her when her voice broke with the question.
"Yes. This is our son, Adam. Adam, this is Selene, an old acquaintance of mine."
Adam turned to the woman and smiled brightly. "Pleasure to meet you, Selene."
"And you. You have your father's eyes."
"Thanks, mom always says that." Adam said proudly, looking over his shoulder at his parents.
"You will be a very handsome man like your father when you grow up."
"Thank you. But I think I'll be even more handsome than he is."
The adults laughed at the boy's expression and display of superiority in looks.
"Alright, that's enough out of you."
"How old are you, Adam?" Selene asked hesitantly.
"10 this year."
Selene did not mask her surprise, as Adam's age had visibly upset her. She turned to his father with a forced smile.
"10 years?" She whispered.
Before his father could answer, Adam's mother began coughing.
"My love!"
"Mom!"
Adam and his father relieved his mother of her purse and held her steady as the coughing fit rocked her violently. When her fit subsided, his father wiped the spots of blood from her lips.
"I'm fine, you two." She said, caressing them.
"Log—"
"I'm sorry, Selene; I need to take my wife home. It was good to see you again."
Adam and his parents quickly made their way to the elevator and down to the parking garage. When they got to their vehicle, his father assisted his mother into her seat and handed her a bottle of water.
"How are you?"
"Logan I'm fine. Did you get what you—"
Adam's mother gripped her shirt, her face contorting as she gasped for air. Logan reached into the glove box and pulled out a small box with auto-injectors. When he tried to administer the medication, his wife stopped him.
"I'm fine." She rasped. "Let's go. Adam, get in the car."
Adam and Logan got into the car, and the family headed home. His mother had several more instances during the drive home. One instance saw her body spasm and slam into the seat. Adam panicked when she went limp.
"What's happened to her?"
"She's trying to disconnect from her pain."
Unable to bear his wife's struggles, Logan pulled over and once again pulled out the box of auto-injectors.
"Don't," she whispered.
Ignoring her pleas, Logan administered the medication.
Logan made a phone call immediately after the stop as the family continued their journey home.
"Sophia, we're coming."
"Did she take any shots?"
"Just gave her one."
Adam still had no idea what was going on, and Logan made no effort to converse with him for the rest of the ride.
When they pulled into the garage, a woman, whom Adam guessed was Sophia, was waiting. She had a tray with several pieces of equipment that she immediately connected to his mother.
After taking her readings, Sophia directed Logan to move his wife to 'the room' for care.
ns 15.158.61.12da2
