“Stay with me, Isabel. Mollie needs you.”
Mrs. Derek arrived and quickly called 911. We sat with Mollie, who clutched her teddy bear, “Captain,” a gift from her dad. She whispered, “Will they make Mommy better, or will she go to heaven like Daddy?”
I hugged her. “They’re doing everything they can. Your mom is sick, but she can get better.”
Hours later, the doctor appeared. “Your mom is stable, Mollie. She’s asking for you.”
Inside her hospital room, Isabel, pale but alert, hugged her daughter tightly. “I’m so sorry, baby,” she whispered. “I got lost in the dark.”
The months that followed were tough, but Isabel fought her way back. Therapy, support groups, and small steps helped her recover. I became a regular part of their lives, helping with homework, sharing meals, and cheering Mollie on at her school play, where she played a very convincing tree.
Halloween changed everything, revealing that real monsters are the struggles we hide inside. But with love, community, and friendship, those monsters lose their power.
I didn’t just help a mother that night—I found a family. Mollie still has her Captain, who now sits by her bed, while her mom grows stronger every day. And sometimes, when Isabel’s smile reaches her eyes, I see the woman she’s reclaiming.