Page 140

Mrs. Jackman squeezes her hand and gives a feeble smile. “You have a new brother.”

“I want to come with you,” Maria says.

Mama gives Maria a hug, patting her back. “I’ll be with her, but I need you to stay and help take care of your brothers and sisters. Can you do that?”

“But what if something happens?”

Mama rests her hands on Maria’s shoulders. “I’ll take care of her. I promise.”

Maria hugs her mother. Mrs. Jackman kisses her, and then she’s put in the ambulance, leaving us alone in the yard after mere minutes. I take Maria’s hand and lead her back to the house.

The rest of the night goes by in a blur. We watch the kids until their aunt comes to get them. Then Papa, Annie, and I wait in the living room until we receive an update from Mama. After about an hour she lets us know she’ll be staying the night with Mrs. Jackman, and we fall asleep around two in the morning.

I wake up around ten o’clock to Mama coming home. She peeks into our room and I gesture for her to come closer. She tiptoes, trying not to wake Annie.

“How did you get home?” I ask.

“Papa came and got me.” Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail and she wears a fresh pair of clothes.

“How’s Mrs. Jackman and the baby?”

She smiles from ear to ear. “They are amazing. The baby will be in NICU for a few weeks because he’s early, but thankfully there aren’t any other complications.”

I can’t help but be in awe of my mama. When I walked in and saw Mrs. Jackman, I was scared, but Mama was brave. She made sure they were okay and got the help they needed. Even after being up all night, she’s in here, bright and cheery. The event didn’t drain her. It lifted her up.

Whether Mama wants to admit it or not, she needs to go back to being a labor and delivery nurse. I know she thinks it’ll be too hard, but I know it’ll be what holds her together.

It’s hard to explain why I’m happy. We’re just sitting around the living room, but something about it is special. Annie and Olive are arguing over who is cuter—Noah LaLonde or Ashby Gentry. Mama and Papa are in the kitchen cooking while listening to their favorite country station. And Daniel sits next to me, holding my hand and resting his head on my shoulder. Everyone is relaxed, laughing and smiling. This is how it’s supposed to be. It’s how I want it to stay.

“Do you want to go for a walk?” Daniel asks.

“Sure,” I say.

Daniel stands up and pulls me to my feet.

“Where are you going?” Annie asks.

“To get away from you,” he says.

Annie rolls her eyes.

“Hey,” Olive says, throwing a pillow at him.

He catches it, laughing. Then he throws it back. “Stay out of trouble, you two.”

“No promises,” Olive says.

“We’ll be back for dinner,” I call loud enough for my parents to hear.

We walk out the door before anyone finds an excuse to keep us from leaving. I zip up my jacket to keep the fall air from freezing me, and then I look up at the stars. Hundreds of little lights fill the sky, creating the perfect backdrop for our walk. I find Daniel’s hand again and lace our fingers together.

“How are you feeling?” Daniel asks.

“Pretty good,” I say. It’s partially true. I feel better than I have been lately, but I think it’s because I’m starting to feel at peace with leaving. My lungs still burn with every breath and I’m exhausted, but I’m grateful to be alive. I can’t imagine a better way to spend the evening.

“That’s good,” he says.

“Why do you ask?”