Sudden Discomfort After Craft Time

Case overview

Noah Nguyen has been at the kitchen table all afternoon, building a tiny craft project while his mother Tessa answers email nearby. Then he goes quiet. He pushes his chair back, presses a hand to his middle, and says he wants to lie down. No one saw a fall. Nothing in the room looks obviously wrong. Tessa knows a child can feel bad for a dozen ordinary reasons, but the change came too quickly for her to settle on one. She starts with the last few minutes: who was at the table, what was open, what Noah handled, and what may not be where it was before. The art tray holds more questions than answers. Tessa has to decide whether waiting will clarify the story or make a difficult conversation harder. The case begins before she can tell which detail changes the stakes.