“Hey, Jean. Do you know where they took the pregnant woman that was brought in here from the accident on Broadway?”

  “They’ve got her in Room 7.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Hey,” Jean said. “What happened down there? I heard a car ran into some people on the sidewalk.”

  Maya nodded. “It was an elderly woman. Apparently, she thought she was having a heart attack, panicked, and lost control. She ran up onto the sidewalk on the corner of 3rd and Broad. Hit a bunch of pedestrians.”

  “My God.”

  “Yeah. I was helping the pregnant woman, so I’m going to go check on her.”

  Reno was standing behind Maya when she turned around.

  “You want me to come down there with you?” he asked.

  Maya shook her head. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “Shift’s over. You did your 12 hours. Now go on and head home. I know you’re exhausted.”

  “All right. Well, shoot me a text and let me know how she is, all right?”

  “Can do.”

  Maya was almost to the double doors when Reno called after her. “You did good out there today, Talbot.”

  A smile was her only reply. Then she headed through the doors.

  When she arrived at the central corridor of the ER wing, Maya flashed her ID card at the electronic pad and the doors swung open to let her inside. She walked down the hallway toward Room 7. She looked through the window, and her eyes went wide.

  A nurse held a newborn baby in her arms—the umbilical cord still attached and covered in blood. Courtney lay motionless on the operating table.

  A doctor left the room even as Maya peered through the window, removing the gloves from her hands. Maya waved her down.

  “Is she all right?”

  “She’s going to be fine. The baby is premature, but he seems to be in good health. They’re transferring him to NICU. Are you family?”

  “No. I’m the paramedic who was on the scene.”

  “You saved that child’s life. The umbilical cord had wrapped around his neck. If we hadn’t operated right away, he might not have made it.”

  “I was just doing my job.” The cliché burned her ears, but it was all Maya could think to say. She sighed and then choked back a sob. They’d made it in time, and she’d had the instinct to get Courtney into a rig despite her otherwise “minor” injuries.

  “You’re a hero. Accept it.”

  Maya smiled, and the doctor returned the gesture before she walked away.

  After glancing into the open door of Room 7, Maya realized the premature baby would make it. And his mom would wake up to meet him.

  She yawned and felt the ache in her lower back. She’d long ago accepted pains like this in exchange for saving lives. It was that sense of satisfaction that kept her coming back for each next shift.

  But, for now, she wanted to get home to her kids.

  2

  When Maya walked through the front door of her quiet house, the kids were doing something they shouldn’t have been or else they were on screens—maybe both, but in any case, she couldn’t hear them. After the day she’d had, though, she was just thankful not to have to break up an argument about who got to sit on the “good” end of the couch. Their German shepherd, Page, got up off the rug in the middle of the living room and sauntered over to Maya as she came in, the dog’s tail wagging.

  Smiling, Maya kneeled. “Hey, girl.” She rubbed the dog’s ears and watched her tail wag even faster.

  Maya put her keys and her backpack next to the door and walked into the living room. She still had on the bottom half of her uniform, but had taken off the top and was sporting the white ribbed tank top she always wore underneath. She headed for the kitchen.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  Maya jumped, and then followed the voice. Her son, Aiden, was lying on the sofa reading a comic book.

  When he’d been younger, Maya had worried about Aiden’s introverted tendencies. Around the age of nine, he’d discovered electric guitar and punk rock—Green Day becoming his favorite band. Now that he was 12 years old, Maya felt as though she was constantly taking Aiden to have his shaggy, brown hair cut so she could see his crystal blue eyes. Maya worried also that he seemed to be a bit chunky for the average tween, but Maya tried not to blame that on the boy’s love for DC Comics and science fiction novels.

  “You scared the mess out of me.”

  “Sorry.”

  Maya rubbed his head. “You kids are so quiet.”

  “Would you rather us fight every time you come home?”

  “I quite prefer the peace, thank you very much. Though I wish you’d read something with words.”

  Aiden turned the comic book towards her. “There’s words.”

  “Right.”

  “It could be worse. I could stare at my phone all day like Laura.”

  “Speaking of which, where is your sister?”

  Aiden shrugged. “Probably back in her room texting with Jacob.”

  “Who?”

  “Some boy she likes. She hasn’t told you about him?”

  Maya sighed. Laura was at that age. Fifteen had come too soon. Maya wasn’t ready for her little girl to be talking to boys.

  “Got any ideas for dinner?” Maya asked.

  “You know what I’m going to say.”

  “Pizza?” Maya arched her eyebrow.

  A grin stretched across Aiden’s face. If there was one thing that could pull him away from his comics, it was pizza. Maya returned the smile. “Pizza sounds like a great idea.”

  “Sweet! Can I order?” He’d already grabbed his phone and was searching for the app. It wasn’t like Maya could say no.

  “Just make sure you get one without meat. Don’t do that to your sister again.”

  “The vegetarian thing is so lame. Why did she have to start doing that?”

  “Respect your sister. She doesn’t have to eat meat if she doesn’t want to. Get one with cheese or spinach or something.”

  “Order me a salad!” Laura shouted from her bedroom.

  Maya looked at her son.

  “Yeah, yeah, I heard her.”

  She patted her son on the leg as she walked off and down the hall to Laura’s room.

  “Hey there,” Maya said.

  Laura sat in the middle of her bed, her eyes glued to her phone and white wires trailing from each ear. Maya had known almost immediately which one of her kids had come out as the family’s troublemaker, and Laura was the undisputed champ of the house. Completely in the throes of teenage rebellion, she could go from zero to Maya wanting to strangle her in two seconds flat. Her long brown hair and hazel eyes made Maya feel as though she was looking into a time machine mirror. And remembering her own teen years, Maya knew the boys would be fawning over her daughter. If only she could have one conversation without seeing Laura’s hair in her face or those earbuds in her ears.

  Maya leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms. She whistled, and Laura finally looked up.

  “Oh, hi.”

  “Hey,” Maya said. “You heard us talking about pizza, but you didn’t hear me saying hello?”

  Laura shrugged. “Selective hearing, I guess.”

  “I don’t know whether that’s an insult or not.”

  “It’s not. I’m just hungry.”

  “Me, too. Did you have a good day?”

  Laura finished a text before she responded.

  It bothered Maya that her daughter couldn’t live in the moment. She always had to be on her phone, oblivious to life happening around her. Maya let it slide now, trying not to create tension between her and her daughter. After what had happened on the call earlier, she wanted no conflicts with either kid tonight.

  “It was all right,” Laura finally said, mumbling.

  “Well, it doesn’t sound like it was all right. Did something happen?”

  “No, I’m okay.”

  “Hey.” Maya walked all the way into the room. “You can talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

  Tears welled in Laura’s eyes. She tried to hide it by turning away and staring at her phone, but Maya saw it. She sat on the edge of the bed.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Today was career day at school. All the other kids had their parents there. But Dad didn’t show up. A ghost. Again.”

  That bastard, Maya thought.

  She’d split with Gerald three years ago, and she hated the fact that they’d gone through the classic, ugly divorce. In the aftermath, he’d promised to spend time with their children, but Laura and Aiden had been left with one disappointing no-show after another. Maya had done her best to keep their relationship cordial for the sake of Laura and Aiden—which became harder as the kids got older and no longer believed their father’s lies—but it often seemed like there wasn’t much point to the charade. He was a veteran with PTSD and a reliance on the bottle. Not that it was an excuse, but Maya had to acknowledge it as a reality in Gerald’s life

  “I was literally the only kid in my class who didn’t have a parent there.”

  “I’m so sorry, hon. Look, next time this happens, I’ll take the day off and come. Okay?”

  “You came last year. I wanted Dad there.”

  “I know it’s no excuse, but he probably forgot. He’s really busy this time of year and you know he lives out of state. Maybe he couldn’t leave the job site.”

  Gerald had spent his entire life in the construction industry, and the last Maya had heard, he’d been promoted to foreman for a company based in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

  “It’s only an hour drive. He couldn’t take the time to drive down?”

  Maya sighed. “Look, Laura. I know you’re upset. Heck, I’m mad that he stood you up like this, too. It’s not right.”

  “It was embarrassing.”

  “Well, it’s the weekend. You don’t think all those kids in your class are gonna have other things on their minds? They’ll forget all about it by Monday.”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Speaking of the weekend, are you packed up for Nonna’s?”

  “I don’t wanna go to Nonna’s. I wanna hang out here this weekend.”

  “She’s really looking forward to seeing you guys. It’ll be good for you. Besides, I really need some time to myself. I’ve had a rough time lately.”

  “You’ve had a rough time?” Laura snorted.

  Maya thought about the accident, the pregnant woman. She swallowed a potentially bitter reply. “It’ll be good for you. Nonna always spoils you, even when I tell her not to.”

  “Whatever,” Laura said.

  Maya leaned in and kissed her daughter on the head. “Have some time to yourself. I’ll come let you know when dinner’s here.”

  “Thanks.”

  Maya went to the door, but looked back to see Laura wiping her eyes. She couldn’t get the image of the young baby out of her head, and what his mother had gone through after nearly being killed. And to top it off, Gerald couldn’t be bothered to show up at his daughter’s school for a career day.

  She bent down and picked up a dirty t-shirt Aiden had thrown into the hallway. She could swear he had grown another three inches overnight. The old adage was true—they grew up fast.

  Gerald’s loss.

  3

  After dinner and a few hours spent picking up the house, Maya slipped into the bedroom. She turned on the shower and undressed. Standing in front of her vanity, she stared at herself in the mirror. Her brown hair was an oily mess as she pulled it out of its ponytail. Maya was only thirty-five, but days like today made her look twenty years older.

  She got into the shower and rested her head against the wall. Closing her eyes, she tried to clear her mind as the hot water ran down her back. Maya thought of Courtney—the pregnant woman she’d helped. She wondered if the woman had woken yet, and if she’d had the opportunity to hold her baby. NICU had stringent rules that often seemed cruel to new parents. In some instances, people had to go days, even weeks, without getting to hold their child. Maya had gone through something similar with her youngest, Aiden.

  When Aiden had been born, Maya had held him for only a couple of minutes before the nurses pulled him away to weigh him, remove the umbilical cord, and run some tests. He’d begun coughing, and before Maya knew it, more nurses had flooded into the room. The OBGYN tended to Maya, trying to keep her calm, but despite the frantic energy in the delivery room, Maya had seen a nurse perform CPR on Aiden. Though it only lasted for a moment, she’d panicked. The nurses had brought Aiden to her to show Maya he was okay, but then they’d had to take him away moments later.

  For the next day, Maya hadn’t gotten to hold her son. Aiden had been taken to Transition—the step before admittance to NICU. Fluid had built up in his lungs and he’d stopped breathing during the delivery. He’d had to be put on a machine to help regulate his breathing until he could do it on his own. Maya had wanted to be there with him, but the nurses and Gerald just urged her to rest. Gerald would visit now and then, and come back up to Maya’s room with updates.

  Around dinner time the next day, the nurse had knocked on Maya’s door with a surprise. She’d brought Aiden to her, swaddled and awake, and Maya had finally been able to hold him so close.

  The memories of it all made her smile and cry at the same time. She would never wish that experience on any parent, and she couldn’t imagine the emotions people went through when their newborns had to stay in NICU for weeks. She hoped that Courtney wouldn’t have to go through that. The woman had already been through enough.

  Maya waited for the water to run cold before turning off the shower. She dried off and slipped into her bedtime shorts and a gold, oversized Nashville Predators t-shirt she’d bought at a game a few years back.

  When she left her bedroom, she looked in across the hall. The light in Laura’s room was on, but she’d fallen asleep on top of her bed. Maya smiled and shut off the light, then shut the door slowly so it wouldn’t creak.

  In the living room, Guardians of the Galaxy blared from the television. Maya rolled her eyes. “Aiden. Turn that down. It’s time to—”

  But as she reached the couch and looked over the top of it, she saw her son was also already fast asleep. A half-eaten slice of pepperoni and bacon pizza sat next to the open box on the coffee table. Aiden’s mouth was wide open as he lay on his back. Maya stared down at him, and she couldn’t help but smile. Even with all that had happened that day, she had comfort in knowing that the two most important people in her life slept safely under her roof.

  Maya covered Aiden with a blanket and shut off the television before she closed the pizza box and tossed Aiden’s half-eaten slice to Page, who’d waited patiently on the floor, wagging her tail. With the leftover pizza safely in the refrigerator, she shut off all of the lights, let Page out into the backyard, and then back inside before she headed to her bedroom.

  When she finally crawled under the covers, Maya’s phone lit up the dark room.

  I knew I should have shut that thing off.

  She didn’t want to go back to thinking about work, let alone get called in. She needed rest before her shift the next day. But it wasn’t work.

  In fact, when she saw the name Gerald Waller across the screen, she wished it were work.

  Maya took a deep breath and swiped to accept the call.

  “Yeah?”

  “That’s how you greet me? Nice, Maya.”

  She thought of career day, the disappointment. It wasn’t worth engaging over that.

  “It’s ten o’clock, and I’ve had one hell of a day. Sorry if I’m not excited to take your call.”

  “Oh, well, sorry.”

  Maya sighed and rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. “What do you want, Gerald?”

  “Well, it’d be nice to know when I’m supposed to pick up the kids tomorrow.”

  “What? You don’t get the kids this weekend.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Seriously. They’re going to my mom’s. I told you this a bazillion times. There are text and emails about it.”

  “Well, change of plans. Tell your mom I’ll come get them.”

  Maya hissed. “I’m not doing that. My mom is looking forward to a weekend with them. She’s already got stuff planned.”

  “Not my problem. I want to see my kids.”

  “Yeah?” Maya stood, climbed out of bed, and shut the door. “Well, maybe you should’ve been at Laura’s school today.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “It was a career day. You were supposed to be there. But, typical Gerald, you don’t show up.”

  Maya heard a long sigh pass through the phone, followed by an extended silence—without an apology.

  “Was she upset?” Gerald finally asked, the edge gone from his voice.

  “She was the only one without a parent there. What do you think?”

  He sighed again. “Look, that’s all the more reason for me to see them. I can make it up to Laura.”

  “No. You can’t. And I think she’d be better off being with my mom for the weekend. Let her take the time to get over it.”

  “What about tomorrow night? Your mom can watch them during the day and take them to do all the fun stuff she’s got planned; then they can come stay the night at my place. We can meet up Sunday afternoon so you can get them back.”

  “That won’t work. You know I want to be there when you pick them up, and I can’t meet you at my mom’s tomorrow.”

  “Why not?”

  Maya paused.

  “You’ve got a date, don’t you?”

  “That’s none of your business,” Maya said. She pictured the toxic smile oozing across his face.

  “It’s not with that black partner of yours, is it?”

  “His name is Reno.”

  This wasn’t the first time Gerald had accused Maya of having a thing for Reno. And she did find him attractive, but the two of them were partners and he was almost ten years younger than her. Maya wasn’t even sure she was friends with Reno. They shared an occasional beer after work or karaoke night out with other co-workers, but nothing beyond that.