ALMA

"Mom?"

Her words hit my ear in the distance, and the world seemed to stop. I tried to prop forward, but my legs were stuck, and I started, bee-eyed, at Velma and how she softly squirmed in the bed. Nothing else mattered at that moment, and Carl, as though he read the situation right, placed his arm on my lower back and helped me move forward.

"Velma?" I called out in a small, strained voice, unable to control my tears once again. I didn't mind that Carl was touching me, or that he was ...