For several seconds after Emily said Ben was unconscious, I could not move. I could not breathe. I could not even make myself lower the phone from my ear.
My kitchen looked exactly as it had five minutes earlier. The coffee was still steaming. The morning sun was still spilling across the floor.
Nathan’s birthday card was still sitting beside the fruit bowl.
To the best mother in the world, with all my love, Nathan.
Those words suddenly looked obscene.
I reached for the card with trembling fingers.
Then I heard Emily crying through the phone.
“Margaret?”
“I’m here.”
“Please come.”
That was all she had to say.
I grabbed my purse and keys.
I don’t remember locking the door.
I don’t remember driving most of the way to the hospital.
I only remember one thought repeating in my head.
Those chocolates were supposed to be inside me.
And another thought followed it.
My grandchildren had eaten them instead.
By the time I reached the emergency department, my hands were shaking so badly I dropped my keys twice in the parking lot.
I ran through the automatic doors.
“Ben Ellis,” I gasped at the reception desk. “Sophie Ellis. They were brought in this morning.”
The receptionist looked at her computer.
Before she could answer, I heard someone call my name.
“Margaret!”
Emily was standing near the end of the hallway.
I almost didn’t recognize her.
Her hair was unbrushed.
She was wearing sweatpants and an old sweatshirt.
Her face was swollen from crying.
I hurried toward her.
She grabbed both my arms.
“Ben’s still unconscious.”
My knees weakened.
“And Sophie?”
“Awake. Scared. They’re monitoring her.”
I covered my mouth.
“Oh, God.”
Emily began crying again.
I pulled her against me.
For all the distance between us, for all the strained holidays and awkward visits, none of that mattered anymore.
She was a mother terrified that she might lose her child.
And I was a grandmother terrified of exactly the same thing.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
Emily pulled back suddenly.
Her expression changed.
“Why are you apologizing?”
“Because I brought them.”
“You didn’t know.”
“But I gave them to you.”
“You thought Nathan bought them for you.”
Her voice cracked.
“You thought you were sharing your birthday present.”
Then she stared directly into my eyes.
“Margaret, what did Nathan say when you told him?”
I hesitated.
“He panicked.”
Emily’s face went still.
“How badly?”
I told her.
I told her about the silence.
The change in his breathing.
The way he shouted.
The frantic questions.
Whether I had eaten any.
Whether she had eaten any.
Whether Sophie or Ben had touched them.
Emily slowly lowered herself into one of the plastic waiting-room chairs.
“Oh, my God.”
“What?”
She stared at the floor.
“He knew.”
I sat beside her.
Neither of us spoke for several seconds.
Then Emily whispered something that made my blood turn cold.
“He called me last night.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
“After you dropped off the chocolates.”
“What did he say?”
“He asked whether you’d stayed.”
My stomach tightened.
Emily rubbed her hands together.
“He wanted to know exactly how long you had been there. I told him maybe five minutes.”
She swallowed.
“Then he asked where the chocolate box was.”
I stared at her.
“What did you tell him?”
“I said I put it on the kitchen counter.”
Her eyes filled again.
“He told me not to eat them.”
I felt something inside me collapse.
“He told you that?”
“He said they were specially made for you and that you might be offended if you found out we ate them.”
Emily’s breathing became shallow.
“I thought he was being thoughtful.”
She laughed once, but there was no humor in it.
“I actually thought he was protecting your feelings.”
“Did he mention the children?”
“No.”
“Did he tell you they were dangerous?”
“No.”
Emily looked at me.
“Margaret, if he knew something was wrong with those chocolates…”
She couldn’t finish.
She didn’t have to.
A doctor appeared at the end of the hallway.
“Mrs. Ellis?”
Both of us stood.
“I’m Dr. Patel.”
Emily immediately stepped forward.
“My son?”
“He’s stable.”
Her knees nearly gave way.
I caught her arm.
“Stable?” she repeated.
“Yes. He is still unconscious, but his vital signs have improved considerably. We’re treating both children based on the suspected toxin, and we’re seeing a positive response.”
Emily covered her face and sobbed.
I closed my eyes.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I didn’t care who heard me whispering it.
“Can we see him?”
“Soon.”
Then the doctor looked between us.
“There’s something else.”
My relief vanished almost immediately.
“What?”
“We contacted law enforcement.”
Emily stiffened.
The doctor continued carefully.
“Given the circumstances and the fact that two children became critically ill after consuming the same food product, hospital protocol requires us to report the incident.”
“Of course,” I said.
“There are two detectives waiting to speak with you.”
Emily looked at me.
I looked at Nathan’s handwritten card, which I had shoved into my purse before leaving home.
For the first time that morning, I was glad I had brought it.
The detectives introduced themselves as Detective Laura Mercer and Detective Daniel Ruiz.
They took us into a small consultation room.
Detective Mercer placed a recorder on the table.
“Mrs. Ellis, we’re going to ask you some questions about the chocolates.”
“Anything.”
“Where did they come from?”
“They were delivered to my house yesterday morning.”
“Do you still have the packaging?”
“The box is at Emily’s house.”
Detective Ruiz looked at Emily.
“Officers have already secured it.”
Emily nodded.
Detective Mercer turned back to me.
“Who sent them?”
I reached into my purse.
I pulled out the card.
Her eyes dropped to the handwriting.
“My son.”
“Nathan Ellis?”
“Yes.”
She put on gloves before taking the card.
“Did you see him purchase or prepare the chocolates?”
“No.”
“Did he tell you where he bought them?”
“No.”
“Did he normally send you gifts like this?”
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