At 104 degrees, my baby was burning up, but the doctor looked at me and

Ava hesitated, glancing at me for reassurance. I nodded, gently encouraging her to continue.

“Should I tell you what Grandma gave the baby instead of his real medicine?” she asked again, her voice stronger this time.

Dr. Miller knelt down to Ava’s level, his expression softening. “Yes, Ava. I think that’s important. Can you tell me what happened?”

Ava clutched her teddy bear tighter. “Grandma took the medicine away and gave Milo some tea from her special jar,” she explained. “She said it would help him sleep.”

I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. Elaine had always insisted on using her home remedies, but I never imagined she would replace prescribed medication with them, especially for a baby running a high fever.

Dr. Miller frowned and looked up at me. “Did you know about this, Mrs. Donovan?”

I shook my head, my voice barely a whisper. “No. I had no idea.”

The doctor turned to Ryan. “Mr. Donovan, I need to know exactly what your mother gave the baby.”

Ryan looked confused and then alarmed. “I—I didn’t know she did that,” he stammered, his eyes darting toward Elaine, who was shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

Dr. Miller stood up, his demeanor now all business. “We’ll need to run some tests to determine what your son was given. In the meantime, we’ll do everything we can to stabilize him.”

I could hear the urgency in his voice, and it made my heart race. As Ava and I sat together, I felt her small hand slip into mine. “It’s going to be okay, Mom,” she said softly.

Ryan looked at his mother, his expression somewhere between disbelief and anger. “Mom, why would you do something like this?”

Elaine huffed, clutching her purse tighter. “I was only trying to help. You know how I feel about chemicals in medicine.”

Ryan sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. “This isn’t about how you feel, Mom. It’s about Milo’s health.”

As the medical staff worked around Milo, I felt a sense of desperation mixed with determination rise within me. My instincts had been dismissed too many times, but I wouldn’t let that continue. Not when it came to my children.

I turned to Ryan. “We need to set boundaries, Ryan. I appreciate that your mom wants to help, but we can’t risk Milo’s health.”

He nodded, a serious look on his face. “You’re right, Claire. I should’ve listened to you.”

For the first time in days, I felt like we were on the same side. Yet, the road ahead seemed daunting. Arrangements would need to be made about Elaine’s involvement, and trust had to be rebuilt.

As we sat there, waiting for news about Milo, I knew this was only part of the story. There would be more challenges, more decisions to face.

And so, the next chapter of our family’s journey was about to begin.

If you want to read more, leave a comment below the Facebook post for a part 3.