Zoe, a caring nurse, often asked her mother-in-law, Denise, to take care of her son, Leo. Denise was a woman who seemed very powerful and had a talent for making others feel inferior without even making an effort. After her husband died, she went back to being the main librarian at the nearby library. She felt comfort in her job and in the gatherings of her book club. Even though Denise could be a bit bossy, Zoe was grateful for her assistance. Denise often took care of Leo when Zoe had to work late because Andrew, her husband, had unpredictable hours at his law firm. Denise told Zoe that grandmothers should always be there to help. She mentioned that even though grandmothers can sometimes have changing moods, they are reliable and never express dissatisfaction.
Lately, Leo started behaving oddly whenever Denise was nearby. He would hold onto Zoe for a longer time when she tried to go, or hide when he heard Denise's car coming. At the beginning, Zoe thought it could be a temporary thing or just separation worries that many young kids experience. One night, before Zoe was going to work a night shift, Leo started crying and asked her not to leave him with his grandmother. Worried, Zoe knelt next to him, trying to make him feel better by talking about the goodies his grandma used to bring. However, Leo, feeling scared, noticed that his grandmother had been behaving oddly. He explained how Denise would try to make him eat something by following him with it. Leo said that the object was a cotton swab. Denise wanted to use it to get a sample of his saliva for a test. Leo was very scared by this idea. He was still very upset from a recent accident where he broke his arm and now he is afraid of anything related to medicine.
