Chapter 20
After hanging up, Zinnia settled into her balcony swing chair with some medical textbooks. Her mentor always said even experts need refreshers.
New to Jinston, Zinnia had no friends. Her "real family" didn't give a crapโtheir rejection stung worse than any stranger's indifference.
She spent the afternoon reading and napping. When she woke up, it was dusk. As she opened her bedroom door to head downstairs, she heard raised voices below.
โMom, whenโs Zinnia waking up? Maybe sheโs up but avoiding us. Let me check!โ Maelis kept peeking upstairs. The Shaw family had waited all afternoon but still hadnโt seen Zinnia.
Betty frowned, โMom, do you think Zinnia still hasnโt forgiven me?โ
Then Betty turned to Sofia. โGrandma, let me go apologize to her. I was the one who messed up last time. I wanted to say sorry to Zinnia earlier, but I got sick and she left before I could,โ she said, her pretty face full of regret.
โZinniaโs the best kid. If she didnโt do it, she didnโt. Sheโs always honest. The people who framed her should be the ones apologizing,โ Sofia said, glancing at Betty. Then she looked at Maelis and Howard, who were fidgeting on the couch like they couldnโt sit still.
โYeah, Mom, I was wrong last time. But with Zinniaโs past, we jumped to conclusions. Weโll apologize to her properly this time,โ Maelis said. She hadnโt seen Zinnia for days. She tried to visit yesterday, but Sofia refused her.
โIf thereโs a misunderstanding now, maybe there were misunderstandings before? Making one mistake doesnโt mean you canโt make another. Are you sure youโre always right?โ Sofia sighed and shook her head. Maelis wasnโt the brightest.
Sofia then glanced sideways at Betty, who had come along.
โGrandma, Mom didnโt mean to. They were just worried about me,โ Betty explained, freezing under Sofiaโs stare and feeling like she was being targeted. Her smile wavered.
โThey cared about Zinnia too. Last time Zinnia was sick, Mom tried to see her. But Betty got a sudden headache, so we stayed with her first.
โBy the time we got to the hospital, Zinnia had already checked herself out after making a scene,โ Howard said, feeling the tension.
He looked up at the silent bedroom upstairs and clenched his jaw, thinking, โShe really is a painโstill dead asleep after napping all day.โ
โReally? What a coincidence! What good were you during Bettyโs headache? Zinnia was right downstairs for hours getting tests. Couldnโt even send one person?
โBetty, youโre not a baby anymoreโdo you need the whole family hovering over you?โ Sofia said, shaking her head at the clueless Howard.
Then she turned to Betty with a faint smirk. What a coincidenceโZinnia got sick, Howard went looking for her parents, and suddenly Betty got a headache.
โGrandmaโฆ itโs not needed. Mom and Dad just overreacted yesterday. After our checkup, we went to see Zinnia right away. But she left too quickly,โ Betty said, sensing Sofiaโs dislike.
She felt like Sofia saw through her act. She shot Howard a pleading look, silently begging him to speak up for her.
Howard was usually the dependable one. โGrandma, Bettyโs not a baby. Weโre smothering herโฆโ His voice faded. It hit himโIf they were this worried about Betty, what about Zinnia? No one had even thought about her.
โHuh? I thought Zinnia and Betty were the same age. If Bettyโs not a kid, Zinnia doesnโt need babysitting either,โ Sofia said, squinting.
Howard froze. Betty and Zinnia were the same ageโZinnia was actually the younger sister. Sheโd had a 104ยฐF fever. The doctor warned a fever that high could cause brain damage. Heโd gone looking for their parents but he hadnโt returned. Suddenly, guilt clawed at his chest.
Howard had come today because he was blocked, ready to confront Zinnia. But now he felt like someone dropped a pebble in his shoe. He didnโt notice it until he focusedโthen it was all he felt.
Betty and Zinnia were the same age, but everyone fussed over Betty. No one remembered Zinnia in the next room, passed out from fever. For the first time, Howard felt a twinge of guilt.
โMom, Bettyโs always been delicate. Thatโs why I watch her closer. It doesnโt mean I love Zinnia less,โ Maelis argued. โAfter Bettyโs tests, I checked on Zinnia. I thought she was faking itโthatโs what Iโd heard. I never expected she was actually sick.โ
Maelisโs face tightened. When Howard mentioned Zinniaโs fever, sheโd brushed it off. Only when Betty complained of a headache did she bother to check on Zinniaโafter taking care of Betty first.
Sofia sighed, โMaelis, Zinniaโs your own kidโthe daughter you found. Sheโs still adjusting and needs you. Even if she faked it, it was to get noticed. How can you doubt her?โ
Sofia glared at Maelis and Howard, who were still defending Betty. A headache pulsed at her temples. The Shaw family was clueless.
โMom, I know I messed up. Thanks for looking after Zinnia. When I take her home, Iโll make time for her,โ Maelis said, guilt and sorrow mixing.
Betty was the daughter sheโd raised, but Zinnia was her biological childโthe one sheโd miraculously gotten back. After bringing Zinnia home, sheโd been so focused on Bettyโs feelings that sheโd ignored how Zinnia was still adjusting to this new life.
Two days without Zinnia made the house feel hollow like a puzzle piece was missing. Maelis was so lonely it hurt. She called Sofia again, desperate to see Zinnia.
After another scolding, Sofia finally gave in. Maelis rushed over with Betty, hoping they could fix things and bring Zinnia home.