•Emma• The morning and aftermath of surgery were as daunting as I could imagine, but nothing could prepare me for Amy’s call that startled me when, just when I was talking to Rowan, And she told me that mom had positively reacted to the medicine, and they were moving her out of the ICU. I ran out of the house without much thought and took a cab that headed straight to Saint Brown Hospital. Finally, there was a response. My heart pounded faster with anticipation when I saw Amy waiting for me outside the hospital. “Emma, oh my God, I saw her; she moved; she was responsive!” Amy whispered with tears in her eyes as I hugged her. We both ran back into the hospital to Mom’s ward, and I saw the director checking up on her. He told us the good news now that she responded; we just have to wa