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13

EMMA

Fortunately, the rest of my week was not nearly as traumatic, and the weather on the weekend was perfect. I needed to get out of my head and go for a run. There was nothing quite as cathartic as pounding out my aggravations through the park.

I was hot, sweaty, and ready to go home when I stopped at the local bodega to pick up a sandwich. I may have been ready to go home, but I was not ready or prepared to cook.

“Emma, is that you?”

Marcus’s deep voice cut through my distraction as I stared at the menu board, trying to decide which sandwich I was going to request. I was fluctuating between my standard roast turkey with salami or going for something more health-conscious, like the vegetable sandwich.

“Oh, Marcus. Hi. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

“This isn’t our neighborhood,” he admitted.

I nodded, relief unexpectedly flooding through me at the knowledge that chance encounters with him would be minimal.

“What’s good here?” he asked. “Out for a run?”

He nodded at my clothes. I wore black knee-length biker shorts and a tight, sweat-stained athletic shirt. The sweat dripping off my brow was a dead giveaway.

“What are you doing here?”

“Just headed back in,” I confessed, looking at the two teenagers who stood awkwardly next to him. “You guys headed out for the day? Big plans?”

“Jason here has a ball game,” Marcus said as he reached up and patted his son on the head. I recognized Jason from earlier at the hospital.

“Good to know you use that arm for more than just throwing coffee mugs,” I teased.

“And this is my daughter, Lily,” Marcus added, introducing the teenage girl who was actively glaring at me.

“Nice to meet you,” I said, even though she continued to glare. I had the distinct feeling she was not anybody’s fan.

“Do you want to come?” Jason asked enthusiastically.

Lily rolled her eyes and groaned. I got the impression she was tired of her little brother.

“Dr. Chen has things she’s doing, Jason,” Marcus interjected.

The kid looked crestfallen, but honestly, I didn’t have anything better to do. “Sure. Why not? Is that okay?”

Jason’s eyes went wide, and he started vibrating as he looked eagerly at his dad. I don’t think I looked at Marcus as eagerly, but I understood the feeling. Having Marcus’s approval did things to me.

“I don’t have anything better to do. It sounds like fun,” I admitted.

“It sounds tedious,” Lily muttered.

I didn’t have much experience with teenagers, but she seemed like a movie-quality, stereotypically annoyed teen—annoyed with the world and completely unimpressed with anything and everything her brother did.

I got my sandwich and waited while they made their choices before following them back to the park.

The baseball fields were lively. I may have gotten more into the game than I’d intended, yelling and cheering as Jason showed off his considerable throwing skills.

His team won, and Jason was a bouncing ball of energy as we left the park. He was still very much a kid, despite being in the body of a newly minted teenager. His sister, however, remained moody and complained the entire time.

I didn’t let her attitude get in the way of my enjoyment. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been to such a thrilling ball game. The players were enthusiastic, and the crowd was even more so.

“Thank you,” I said as we followed the crowd out of the park and back into the real world. “I had a great time. Well done, Jason,” I added.