Before entering the ward, I asked the nurse to bandage my wound. When my mother saw the bumpy lunch box and my forearm wrapped in gauze, tears of heartache filled her eyes. I smiled and wiped them away, trying to comfort her. "It's okay, Mom. It’s just a fall. Every time you fall, you learn a lesson—you won’t fall again next time."
Despite my reassurances, Mom wasn’t in a good mood and fell asleep shortly after dinner.
In the afternoon, Hudson visited the hospital. He settled next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist as if nothing had happened. "You were too impulsive today, hitting people like that. I apologized to Harper on your behalf. She doesn’t blame you anymore."
I rolled my eyes, too exhausted to argue. "I always thought you were a generous person. Harper even said she’s willing to do anything to help make peace between you and your mom."
Hudson sighed, his voice laced with frustration. "If you could avoid seeing each other, I wouldn’t push this, but your families’ old houses are next to each other. You’ll run into her every day."