I was making dinner, just some chicken and rice, basic stuff, y’know, because that’s what we do. My kid, Leo, he was playing with his blocks in the living room, making all his little car noises and crash sounds. He’s two and a half, so it’s all just… pure joy, pure noise, pure sticky hands. My mom, she was sitting on the couch, like she always does. Just watching, not really watching, if that makes sense. She’s been living with me since my dad passed, about five years ago now. It’s complicated, but what isn’t, right? So, I’m stirring the rice, the steam is fogging up my glasses, and I hear Leo babbling, “G-ma, G-ma, look! Car go zoom!” He’s holding up this red block, all proud. And I glance over, expecting my mom to do her usual soft chuckle, maybe reach out and pat his head. She loves him, I know she does. She always talks about how he’s the spitting image of my dad when he was a baby, and how that’s a good thing, a blessing. So, I look over, and she’s just… staring. Not at the block. Not at Leo’s excited face. She’s staring through him, almost. Like he’s not even there. Her eyes were just… empty. Like the TV was on but there was no signal. And Leo, he’s still holding up the block, still saying “Zoom! Zoom!” and waiting for her reaction, waiting for that little spark of recognition. And it just wasn't there. Nothing. Her face was flat, like a wall. It only lasted a few seconds, probably, but it felt like an hour. My heart did this weird little lurch, like when you miss a step on the stairs. I put the spoon down, my hands suddenly feeling clumsy. “Mama?” I said, kind of quiet. She didn’t even blink. Leo finally dropped the block, just kind of let it fall to the floor, and he looked at me, his little brow furrowed. He knew something was off, even at his age. Kids are smart like that, man. They pick up on everything. I walked over, just went and sat next to her on the couch. The springs groaned a little. And I just put my hand on her arm, real gentle. Her skin felt… cool. Like she hadn’t been moving at all. “Mama,” I said again, a little louder this time. And then, slowly, her eyes kind of focused. Like she was coming back from somewhere far away. She blinked. “Huh?” she said, her voice thin, like a whisper. “Leo showed you his car,” I said, trying to keep my voice even, trying to make it sound like everything was normal. Like I hadn’t just seen her disappear right in front of my kid. She looked at Leo then, a slow, dazed look. And then, like a switch flipped, her face changed. A little smile, a soft one, but it was there. “Oh, my little driver!” she said, and she reached out, finally, and took his hand. “So fast!” And I just sat there, watching them. And it was okay. Everything was fine again. She was back. But that image, that blank stare… it’s been haunting me all week. It’s not the first time. It happens. Little moments. Sometimes when she’s just sitting by the window, sometimes when she’s watching TV. But never, never when Leo was trying to get her attention. Never that completely GONE look. My mom, she’s always been so strong, you know? Came here with nothing, worked her ass off. Cleaning houses, factories, whatever she could get. Never complained. Always just… got it done. And now, she just sits. And sometimes she just… fades out. I don’t know what’s going on in her head when she does that. Is she thinking about the old country? Is she just tired? Is she… I don’t even know what to call it. It’s like she’s still here, but parts of her are already somewhere else. And I’m just trying to keep it all together. The bills, the job, Leo’s daycare, the rent for this tiny two-bedroom apartment. There’s no extra cash for anything, you know? No fancy doctors, no private care. It’s just me. And I love my mom, I do. She’s my mom. But sometimes, when I see her like that, I feel this cold panic spread through me. This dread. Because if she really goes… like, *goes* gone… what then? Who do I become? And who’s gonna be there for my kid? It’s just… heavy. And I try not to think about it, but then I see her staring blankly at my son, and it all just comes crashing back.