“I could ask your
teacher.”
Her eyes snapped toward me.
“I’d only ask if everything’s okay.”
“I don’t want you to.”
“I could ask your teacher.”
Then, while Alice watched television, I sent the message anyway.
“Is everything okay between the girls? Alice noticed Sophie didn’t sign her card.”
At the time, I told myself I was helping.
I sent the message anyway.
Later that morning, Dr. Malcolm came in.
He’d treated Alice for most of the year. I trusted him because he never spoke around her as if she weren’t there.
He checked on her, asked how she felt, then looked at her superhero figures.
Alice pointed at Spider-Man.
Dr. Malcolm came in.
“He’s my chemo buddy today.”
Then Dr. Malcolm looked at me.
“I need to step out for a few minutes.”
“He’s my chemo buddy today.”
“No, Maggie. Not at all.”
