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Annie takes off running down the hall to our parents’ room.

“What’s wrong?” I ask again.

Maria’s face burns red with tears. “My mom,” she says, trying to breathe. “The baby. My dad isn’t home.” She doesn’t say much, but she doesn’t have to.

Mama comes rushing toward us. She doesn’t stop to talk to Maria. She runs past us and around the corner.

I loop my arm around Maria, and we stagger behind. Once inside their house, Annie sits with Maria and the other kids, trying to calm them down while I follow Mama into the bedroom.

Mrs. Jackman is on the ground, lying on her side. “Please help me get to the hospital,” she says.

Mama drops to her knees and starts to check Mrs. Jackman’s pulse and temperature. “Did you call 911 yet?”

She shakes her head. “I didn’t want to worry the kids.”

Within seconds, Mama is on the phone calling for an ambulance. “Go find towels,” she tells me.

I find the nearest bathroom and gather as many towels as I can carry before running back to the bedroom. I set them down next to Mama.

Mama lays one of the towels underneath Mrs. Jackman. “The baby is already crowning.”

Mrs. Jackman shakes her head. “It’s too early for the baby to come.”

She isn’t full term yet, which makes the situation even scarier, but Mama stays calm. She helps Mrs. Jackman get into a more comfortable position and helps her breathe. Then she asks me to go help Annie. She wants us to take the kids toour house because she doesn’t want the kids to hear Mrs. Jackman and be frightened.

We gather all of the kids, reassuring them that everything will be okay. We take diapers and wipes for the littles and bribe the older kids with the promise of ice cream, and one by one, we manage to get all of the kids out of the house.

Maria holds the youngest, rocking her, in our living room.

“Is Mommy going to be okay?” one of the younger siblings asks me. They have tears in their eyes and their pouty face breaks my heart.

I take their hand and lead them to the couch. “My mama is with her, and she’s going to help her.”

They nod, but there’s still fear in their eyes. “I’m scared.”

I wipe their tears and help them sit on the couch. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

Should I promise? Probably not. I have no control over the situation, but I know Mrs. Jackman is in good hands.

With Papa’s help we get ahold of Mr. Jackman. He’s a truck driver so he’s currently two states away. He gives us the number of the kids’ aunt, who gets in the car right away and starts driving across town. We put on a show and bundle the kids in blankets and serve them ice cream as they wait.

It doesn’t take long for the ambulance to come. As soon as the siren blares through the air, the kids start crying and asking questions.

“Is Mommy going to die?”

“Can we see Mommy?”

“Is the baby okay?”

Maria gets off the couch and runs to the window. I stand next to her as Mrs. Jackman leaves her house on a stretcher. In seconds Maria runs outside and up to her mother. I followher, knowing I’ll have to convince her to come back to the house with me.

Mama walks next to Mrs. Jackman as they near the ambulance.

“Mommy!” Maria says, rushing up to them.

Mrs. Jackman holds out her hand. She has a tiny baby in her arms that’s wrapped in blankets and wears a little hat that’s too big for it.

Maria takes her hand, tears running down her face. “Are you going to be okay?”