My mom's face changed for a second, but she quickly became serious again. "I'm just worried you'll get in trouble again. So, no matter what, don't get emotionally tangled up with Neil again, okay?"
"Mom, you think I went to see Neil today, don't you?" I countered.
My mom stayed silent.
I rubbed my forehead. "I've already told you that Neil is helping me investigate Ethan Foster. Do you think we don't need to meet? Or communicate?"
"You can communicate over the phone," my mom said in an unreasonable tone.
My mom used to be very understanding, but then she was being stubborn about Neil.
It seemed like she would have had cut ties with me right away if she found out I was with Neil.
"Mom, I'm tired. I'm going to rest." I didn't want to explain anymore, so I just headed upstairs. Luckily, my mom didn't make things difficult for me; otherwise, I would have really lost it.
What was breaking me wasn't just the pressure from my mom, but also the turmoil inside me. I was scared of my mom's probing because I knew I couldn't make a decision.
If I really had no feelings for Neil, I should be calm and composed.
That night, I couldn't sleep peacefully. I got up early and went to work without having breakfast because I didn't want to sit face-to-face with my mom. I was scared she'd ask me again.
I had breakfast alone outside. Stella called me quite early, sounding very excited. "Rena, I managed to book another consultation with Dr. Snow. Are you coming with me today? You can ask her to prescribe you something to help you put on some weight."
"When?" Every time Snow was mentioned, I felt weird and kept thinking of her scrutinizing gaze.
"In the afternoon. I didn't expect her to take patients so soon again. I was mad that Bonnie snatched the last slot, but I have to bear with it for my second child." Stella sounded like a mom who loved showing off her kid, not just brag, but also want to have another one to enjoy the joy of parenting.
I agreed without thinking too much. "Alright, just let me know the exact time and place. We can meet there."
"Great!"
In the afternoon, I went to the address Stella gave me. Dr. Snow didn't seem to have a fixed workplace. Sometimes it was a guest house, sometimes a hotel, but they were all high-end.
That time, no one snatched the consultation slot, so Stella and I got to see Dr. Snow smoothly. She was all covered up, wearing a mask and even sunglasses.
It was quite cold in the room, and I shivered.
"You don't seem to be in good health." Snow's attention was on me, and she suddenly suggested, "Do you want me to check you too?"
Stella answered for me, "Of course, she's always feeling weak, and she's so thin. No matter how much she eats, she doesn't gain weight. Do you have any way to help her?"
Snow smiled under her mask. It was a strange smile. We couldn't see her expression because of her mask and glasses, but we could tell she was smiling.
"Of course, but the medicine might taste bitter. Can you handle that?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled