Elowen shook her head. "Mom has been in there for an hour; it’ll probably take four or five more hours to get results..."

Iris sighed and forced a smile at Elowen. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to comfort herself or Elowen. Staring blankly at the surgery room door, she murmured, "Mom will be fine; the surgery will definitely be a success."

At that moment, Emma, who had been sleeping through the ride, woke up and started fussing for food. Seeing this, Iris took off her mom ...