Brandon’s heart tightened. “My son has never been to any school,” he said quietly. “He has a nanny at home.”
Denise’s shoulders sagged. She looked defeated.
“Please forgive her,” Denise whispered. “We will go.”
They left quickly, leaving Brandon alone with a damp pillow and a small golden bottle in his hand. He uncapped it and sniffed. It smelled like plain tap water. That afternoon, Brandon called the nanny, Rosa Martinez.
“Tell me the truth,” he said without greeting. “Did you take Lucas to a kindergarten.”
There was a long silence on the other end.
“Mr. Keller,” she said at last, her voice trembling, “only twice a week. He was lonely. He needed other children. It was a good place. Safe. I thought I was helping him.”
Brandon closed his eyes. “Where.”
“In East Austin,” Rosa answered softly. “Near the old rail yard.”
Brandon hung up without another word. Anger surged through him. Not at Rosa alone, but at himself for missing so much of his son’s life while chasing meetings and deals and late dinners.
That night, Brandon fell asleep in the chair beside the bed, exhausted beyond thought. He woke to a whisper. Ivy was back. She sat beside Lucas, holding his hand, murmuring a story about a castle and a brave knight who refused to let monsters win. Brandon rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
“How did you get in here,” he asked, his voice hoarse.
“Through the staff entrance,” Ivy replied calmly. “I know where Mama keeps her card.”
“You cannot keep doing this,” Brandon said. “This is a hospital. There are rules.”
“Lucas needs someone to believe he will get better,” Ivy said simply. “Everyone else looks sad around him.”
Brandon opened his mouth to argue, then stopped. Lucas’s cheeks looked slightly less pale under the harsh lights. It was probably his imagination, yet the sight struck him deeply.
A nurse entered quietly. It was the same young nurse from earlier. Her badge read Paige Turner.
“Mr. Keller,” Paige said softly, “I should ask her to leave, but I need to tell you something. After the girl visited earlier, Lucas’s oxygen levels improved a little. Not much, but enough that the monitor noticed. It might be coincidence, but it happened.”
Brandon looked from the nurse to Ivy.
“What is in that bottle,” he asked.
“Water from the little fountain behind the hospital,” Ivy replied. “My grandma says it used to be a well where people went when they were sick. I thought maybe it still works.”