Appointment canceled by parent — Brendon.
Not missed. Not rescheduled. Not delayed due to insurance complications or scheduling conflicts.
Canceled.
A sticky note in Andrew’s handwriting was tucked beside the printout.
Dad said I don’t need it. Mom is going to freak out.
I sat on my son’s bed at midnight holding a piece of paper that told me his father had decided, unilaterally and without telling me, that a cardiologist appointment for a child with a documented heart condition was unnecessary.
My phone buzzed again. This time I answered.
“Why did you leave the hospital?” Brendon asked.
“I needed to get some things. I needed a shower.”
“You’re not in his room, are you, Liv?”
“Why would that matter?”
Silence. Long enough to mean something.
“I found Andrew’s appointment card, Brendon. The cardiology follow-up. Why did you cancel it?”
More silence. Then: “I didn’t think he needed it. He seemed fine. You always overreact about everything. And my insurance situation changed — I would have had to pay out of pocket.”
