“I tried to help her,” he said, his voice small.
In the living room, Ruby was lying on the floor. A cold pack sat nearby, along with a pillow and a small puddle of water. Ben had done everything he could—he remembered what his mom had told him about not moving someone who might be hurt. He had tried his best.
Lara checked Ruby—she was breathing, her pulse was steady, but she was unresponsive. With shaking hands, Lara called for help. Paramedics arrived quickly and confirmed it was a case of low blood sugar and dehydration. Ruby hadn’t eaten all day and simply fainted. Fortunately, she was going to be okay.
That night, once the chaos had passed, Lara tucked Ben into bed. He looked up at her with wide eyes and asked, “Is Ruby going to be okay?” She reassured him that yes—she just needed some rest. He nodded, then quietly added, “I was really scared.”
Ben explained how he used the cold pack, placed the pillow under her head, and called for help. Lara listened, her heart full. “The moment you called,” she said gently, “I was already on my way.”
Then he said something that stayed with her: “When I looked at your eyes, they looked like hers did.”
They ended the night in the kitchen with a small scoop of ice cream—something comforting to soften the day.
Later, as Ben slept, Lara sat beside him, holding his hand. She didn’t focus on what could have gone wrong. Instead, she thought about how brave he had been. In a moment of fear, he had acted with calm and care—remembering everything she’d taught him.
That day, Lara felt both proud and humbled. Parenting, she realized, isn’t just about teaching—it’s about learning from your child, too. Sometimes, children show us strength we didn’t know they had.
That night, Lara didn’t sleep. She simply held her son’s hand, quietly grateful for the love, courage, and bond they shared.