“It means the pregnancy test did not prove that anyone hurt you.”
Daniel took Sophie’s hand.
She held on tightly.
I stared at the glowing image of the tumor and understood the terrible bargain we had been given.
The test that nearly destroyed our family might also have saved my daughter’s life.
Chapter Five
The Damage Done Before the Diagnosis
Sophie was admitted to the pediatric oncology floor shortly after midnight.
By morning, the story had escaped the hospital.
Daniel’s phone began ringing before sunrise. He ignored the first two calls, then stepped into the hallway to answer the third. When he returned, his face was empty.
“What happened?” I asked.
He looked at Sophie before lowering his voice.
“Brookfield placed me on administrative leave.”
Daniel taught fifth-grade science. He had worked at the same elementary school for eleven years without a single complaint.
“Why would the school even know?”
