Chapter 15

Chapter 15. That afternoon, Liora was preparing dinner. The small body fell silently, without a sound, without a complaint. Nolan did not fall with a loud thud. A second earlier, he was still holding a blue crayon, staring at the drawing paper with furrowed brows. The next second, his small body went limp, his knees no longer able to support his weight. Liora heard the colored pencil fall first. A small sound. "Nolan?" she called, reflexively, as she rushed out of the kitchen. Her son was lying on the floor. His face was unnaturally pale. Not pale from exhaustion. Not pale from lack of sleep. This was a pallor that made a mother's instinct scream even before her mind could form a sentence. "Nolan!" Liora's voice broke. She knelt so quickly that her knees hit the floor, but she didn't feel it. Her hands trembled as they touched Nolan's cheek. Cold. Too cold for a warm afternoon. "Nolan, honey... open your eyes." There was no response. A few seconds later, he screamed and cried. But