“Okay,” Matthew says, his voice suddenly brisk, decisive. “Go there. I’m leaving now. I’ll be there as soon as I can, do you hear me? Just hold on.”
“Okay,” I breathe, my voice breaking on the word.
The call ends, and I sit back against the seat, shaking uncontrollably. My hands won’t stop moving, over my stomach, over my heart, as if touching them will make everything okay. But the fear is still there, cold and heavy, pressing down on my chest with every passing second.
Please move,I beg silently.Please be okay. Please.
Matthew
I didn’t expect that.
I was ready to tell her I’d meet her at home, ready to reassure her that everything would be fine and then she said it.I haven’t felt the baby move.
The words keep looping in my head, over and over, each time hitting harder.
I’ve already told my boss I’m leaving for the day, so I don’t waste another second. I grab my jacket, shove my phone into my pocket, and bolt from my office.
“Mr. Basen!” Trudy, my assistant, calls after me as I blow past her desk. “You have a call with-”
“Cancel it!” I yell back without slowing down.
I jab at the elevator button like pressing it harder will make it come faster. For a second, I consider the stairs, but from the twenty-third floor, that’ll take forever. The elevator dings open, finally, and I all but throw myself inside, pacing in the small metal box as it descends.
Please be okay. Please be okay. Please.
By the time the doors slide open into the lobby, my heart’s pounding so hard it feels like it’s lodged in my throat. I push through the revolving doors and out onto the street, flagging down the first cab I see.
“Elmhurst Hospital,” I say, breathless, climbing into the back seat. “Fast as you can.”
The driver nods and pulls into traffic, weaving into the flow of cars. I grip my phone so tightly it might crack in my hand. The air in the cab feels too thick, too close, pressing in around me.
I can’t do this. I can’t panic. I need to be there for Brooke.
I bend forward, elbows on my knees, and force myself to breathe in, out, in, out, until the edges of my vision stop swimming. My chest still feels tight, but the panic is just barely held at bay.
When I can finally think straight, I unlock my phone and dial the one person who’s always been there for me. The call rings once, twice, three times.
“Matthew?”
“Mom…” My voice cracks on the word. “I need you.”
“What’s wrong?” she asks quickly, the edge of panic already there.
“Brooke fell,” I manage, my throat tight. “She fell, on her stomach, and she hasn’t felt the baby move. She’s on her way to Elmhurst and I’m heading there now.”
“Oh, sweetheart…” I can hear the fear in her voice, even though she’s trying to keep it steady. “Is she in pain? Is there any bleeding?”
“I-I don’t think so,” I stammer, my heart thudding painfully against my ribs. “I didn’t even ask. God, I didn’t evenask.”
“Matthew,” she says firmly, cutting through the spiral before it swallows me. “It’s alright. Just stay calm, okay? I’ll meet you there. We’ll figure it out together.”
“Okay,” I whisper, clinging to the sound of her voice like a lifeline.
“Deep breaths,” she adds softly. “She needs you steady when you get there.”
“Right. Yeah. Steady.”
The call ends, but her words echo in my head as the city races by outside. I force myself to breathe, to focus, to stay present. Brooke needs me,theyneed me, and falling apart isn’t an option.
