The Real Reason a Toddler Came Home Exhausted Left His Father Stunned, photo 15

And I only grow the best ones in my garden. Trust me—nothing harmful comes out of my soil.” The way she said it—final, unquestioning—made Mike nod when he shouldn’t have. They asked her to stop anyway. Eleanor agreed too quickly. “Fine,” she said, smiling thinly. “If it makes you feel better.”

For a few days, it did. Maxine slept better. She laughed once—a soft, startled sound that made Carrie freeze mid-step and smile like she’d just been handed proof. Then the fever came back. Higher this time. By Friday, Maxine wouldn’t eat.