Showing surprising maturity, he guessed his dad was scared he’d be even more crushed if nothing worked. Maria whispered that sometimes people just needed time to understand.

In the days that followed, Richard saw Ethan slip back into his old sadness. The boy barely ate and shrugged off questions.

When Richard pushed, Ethan admitted he’d been happier when Maria sat with him, telling stories about growing up in the country, farm animals, and the healing plants her grandmother used.

He said Maria no longer talked about the exercises, but he kept dreaming he was running in her grandmother’s garden. That confession haunted Richard all night.

The next morning, he pretended to leave for work but stayed in his home office with the door cracked open. At eight, Maria arrived and greeted Ethan warmly. He told her he’d had the running dream again.