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meet you, Mrs. Wagner.” I reached out my hand, but instead of shaking it, Mrs. Wagner took me into her arms and embraced me the way only a mother could.
    “The pleasure’s all mine. And please call me Beth. Everyone does.”
    I nodded. “What did the doctor say?”
    “The ultrasound confirmed the beginning of appendicitis. They can either give him antibiotics, which will take down the inflammation, or have him in surgery in a couple of hours.”
    “What do I do?” he asked. “I never had mine removed. Mom, what do I do?”
    “Talk to the doctor.”
    “Axel, I almost died as a teenager because of chronic appendicitis. I never had any symptoms other than the pain, and if someone gave me an option to have it removed, I would have done it in a heartbeat.”
    “She’s absolutely right, Mr. Wagner,” the doctor said from the door. “Every case is different, but giving antibiotics doesn’t guarantee that the inflammation won’t return. And given that he’s young, well, it’s your choice what you’d like to do.”
    “Are there any disadvantages if we opt for surgery?”
    “While it’s a simple procedure, I’m obliged to say that there’s always risk with any surgery. As far as long term, other than the small scars, I can’t foresee any issues.”
    “You’d perform the surgery laparoscopically?”
    “We’ll try. He’s small, so we may need to make a larger cut. If scars are a concern—”
    “They’re not,” Axel interrupted. He paused for a moment, considering the options, before nodding. “Go ahead with the surgery.”
    “He’s in good hands, Mr. Wagner.” The doctor left, Axel exhaled, and Trevor woke up.
    “Daddy?”
    “Hey, buddy.” He sat at the side of his son’s bed.
    “How was youw date?”
    “She’s here.”
    He told Trevor we were going out on a date?
    Trevor leaned over to look past his father, saying, “Hi, Twish.”
    “Hi, honey. How are you feeling?”
    “Sleepy.”
    “They gave him something for the pain. And it’s his bedtime too,” Beth explained.
    “My tummy huwt.”
    “I know. That’s why we’re here,” Axel explained, patting the chair beside him for me to sit down. “Your tummy is sick, and the doctor needs to have a better look at it.”
    “How?”
    Axel’s face paled as he probably realized that he was about to tell his son that he was going to go into surgery.
    “I… well… there’s this tiny thing attached to your intestines that looks like a worm.”
    “I have a wowm in my tummy?” The fear in Trevor’s eyes bore down on Axel. He seemed to be in shock, not knowing what to say.
    I stepped up closer to the bed. “Trevor, what your daddy is saying is that the doctor needs to remove a tiny appendix to heal your tummy.”
    “Will it huwt?”
    “No, baby. You’ll be asleep.”
    Beth sat on the other side of the bed.
    “You know how velociraptors sometimes lost their claws, but they could still hunt? That will be you. You’ll get your appendix removed, and nothing about you will change. And look what I found in my apartment.” I pulled out the claw from my purse and handed it to him.
    “Is it weal?”
    “It’s real. I had it confirmed by a paleontologist after I found it with my sister in Yellowstone Park. You can keep it.”
    “Wow! Daddy, look!”
    “I see. That’s a mighty gift.”
    “Thank you, Twish.”
    “You’re welcome, honey.”
    “Can I take it to my suwgewy?”
    “If the doctor agrees, yes.”
    “I’m gonna sleep now.”
    “Okay. We’ll stay here.”
    Trevor lay back in his bed, and Beth tucked him in. He squeezed the claw tightly in his hand, closed his eyes, and his mouth curved up. I had a feeling that he would do just fine in surgery.
    “I’m going down to get some coffee. Would you two like one?” Beth asked.
    “Actually, I’d love one.” I reached for my purse to pay for my coffee when Axel gently grasped my hand, shaking his head. “You’ll offend her,” he whispered.
    “Oh, thank you,