Or had her father simply been intrigued by the challenge of such a rare disease?


    As a researcher herself, Eleanor understood the pull of aplex and challenging case.


    She rubbed her temples. Just as she was about to close the folder, a thought struck her, and she stopped breathing.


    She frantically flipped through the file again until she found what she was looking


    for in a detailed report from a Drexford physician: a single word, underlined and in bold.


    **Hereditary.**


    Eleanor gasped, her hand flying to her chest. The word echoed in her mind.


    *Hereditary.*


    Her father''s notebook had mentioned it, too. Could it be... Her chest ached, and she struggled to breathe.


    Her father hadn''t just been documenting Gina''s illness; he had been worried about the gic implications for her daughter. For *his* daughter.


    "Mommy, look!" Evelyn suddenly appeared in the doorway.


    "Evelyn,e here," Eleanor said, her voice strained.


    Evelyn walked over to her, and Eleanor pulled her daughter into a fierce hug, her arms tightening around her. She buried her face in Evelyn''s soft hair, her eyes scanning her daughter''s face, searching for any sign of a suspicious bruise or rash.


    "Mommy, what''s wrong?" Evelyn asked, her voice muffled against her mother''s shoulder.


    Realizing she was frightening her, Eleanor forced the lump in her throat down and loosened her grip, managing a weak smile. "Nothing, sweetie. I''m just d you''re okay."


    "I''m fine, Mommy. I''m going to go y now," Evelyn said, wriggling free and running off again.


    Eleanor quickly put the file back in its folder. She had to take it home and study it. Her mind was a torrent of words: *hereditary, genes, family history, risk*.


    Even as a scientist, she was consumed by the primal fear of a mother for her child.


    Just as Eleanor came downstairs, she heard a familiar voice. Serena was home.


    Eleanor clutched the folder tighter. Serena, sitting on the sofa, looked up at her, her dislike for Eleanor in on her face.


    "Serena," Magdalen said, her tone a clear warning.


    Serena pouted and stood up. "I''m going to go y with Evelyn."


    Eleanor sat back down, tucking the folder into her bag. "Grandma, can I ask you something?"


    "Of course, dear," Magdalen said with a smile.


    "How old were Old Mr. Goodwin''s parents when they passed away?" Eleanor asked.


    Magdalen thought for a moment. "They were in their eighties, I believe."


    Her answer confirmed Eleanor''s suspicion: the source of the disease was on Gina''s side of the family. Old Mr. Goodwin''s arents had lived long lives, and her former


    father-inw had died of a heart attack brought on by overwork.


    Cóntent


    As Eleanor was lost in thought, she heard her daughter and Serenaing down the stairs.


    "You can''t catch me, Auntie!"


    "You little rascal, you''re too fast," Serena said with augh. "Just wait, I''m going to get you."


    Evelyn ran down the stairs and straight into Eleanor''s arms. Her face was flushed and happy from ying. But for Eleanor, a dark cloud now hung over her, a fear that was tightening its grip around her heart.


    Serena sat down across from her, her eyes only on Evelyn. Magdalen sighed. "Serena, have you been staying upte again? Look at those dark circles under your eyes."


    Eleanor looked at Serena. Even


    through the heavy makeup, she could see that the skin under Serena''s eyes was puffy and red She looked exhausted, the picture of someone suffering from chronic sleep deprivation.