But just as she opened her mouth, Aileen clutched her forehead, her body tilting backward.
"Mom, my head... it hurts so much. I don't think I can stand."
Mom's attention snapped back to her in an instant.
She wrapped an arm around Aileen, gently brushed the hair from her face, and examined the wound carefully.
"You're okay, Ally. Mommy already called 911. We're going to the hospital right now."
The door slammed shut with a bang, the overhead light swaying from the force.
The house was mine alone again.
The cake that had been knocked to the floor lay there just like me, dying in silence.
I followed them without a sound, watching as they climbed into the ambulance.
Mom patted Aileen's back, soothing her, her hands never stopping.
Aileen burrowed into Mom's arms, nuzzling her face against her chest, hair falling in messy strands across both cheeks.
One of the paramedics chuckled, a note of admiration in his voice.
"You two have such a wonderful bond!"
Mom smiled along and lifted a hand to rub the little head that had already tunneled beneath her collar.
Back at the house, a draft crept through the gap beneath the door. The candle flame flickered once, then went out.