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It was good to have Zach in the house again. He was a solid buffer. Helen kept him with her, so he was always between them; though he was also a time suck. Helen admitted that she’d enjoyed having extra time and less responsibility after he was taken away. No day care, no car seat, no diapers.

“This is better, though,” she said. Zach was asleep on the couch between them. The kids were in bed and Annie was exhausted, but she felt like she should stay up with Helen for a while longer.She’d picked her up from the airport, after all, and then bought her dinner.

“What happened?” Annie asked.

“I’m not sure, exactly,” she said, “but I saw the police report. Apparently, his mother was driving a borrowed car while high and crashed it into the cement base of a lamppost in a parking lot.”

“Well, didn’t the car seat protect him?”

“He was in her lap,” Helen said. “His leg got caught in the steering wheel. That’s how it broke. Hit his head on the steering wheel too. He had a concussion.” She shook her head.

Annie reached out and lightly brushed Zach’s hair aside so she could see the bump. “What did the doctors say?”

“That he’s a very lucky little boy. We got him back two days ago. They called in the middle of the night. I thought about you—how you must feel getting up at crazy hours of the night to go do something heroic.”

“Hardly heroic, what I do.”

“A debate for another time, maybe,” Helen said. “Anyway, the cast stays on for at least another few weeks, but…babies heal fast. And he seems to remember me.”

“Of course he remembers you!”

“It’ll be much, much harder for her to get him back this time, so while I can’t say this is permanent, it’s at least for a while.”

“Good,” Annie said. “Which reminds me: I turned down the dorm room, so it looks like you’re stuck with me too. That’s okay, right?”

“It certainly is. I’m…relieved.”

“It’s not going to change anything, right? It’s not too late. I can drop the class. I actually have to drop a couple of classes anyway.”

“You do? Why? How many are you signed up for?”

“Four,” Annie said. “But… Well, they’re changing the source of my funding, and I have to work at least twenty-five hours a week, so I think carrying more than two classes is going to be difficult.”

“And you’re getting something in return, I hope.”

“Oh yeah. More money and a free ride.”

“They’re going to pay for your degree? That’s wonderful!”

It was designed to look wonderful. It was designed to be a very lovely trap, a way for them to seem gracious and accommodating. More money, free school—a dream come true. But she didn’t have a say in the matter, not really, and it was the lack of freedom that chafed.

“It’s going to take me longer to graduate,” Annie said. “I don’t really know what to expect but…whatever. It doesn’t matter. I can drop your class, Helen.”

“No, don’t. It’s probably going to be my last quarter there anyway. I make more on the force, I get good benefits, and I can go full-time if I want to… I’m holding on to the teaching job for the wrong reasons.”

“I’m sorry,” Annie said, and she meant it.

“It’ll be nice to have at least one good student in the class.”

“Okay, then.”

“We can be professional.” Helen waved her hand in the air, though it sounded more like a question than a confident statement. “It’ll be fine.”

Annie nodded. “Yeah, totally.”

Zach sighed, and both women looked at him. His cheeks were bright and rosy. He kicked out his good leg.