“Let me see,” I say, trying to keep the worry out of my voice. He’s wailing and clutching his arm close to him. He shakes his head and just keeps wailing, pushing his body farther into the boat so I can’t reach him. “Mica, sweetie, let’s look.”
I notice then that the boat is moving—Ellis has gotten on and is steering us back to the dock, where a crowd has formed. He’s steering with one hand, his other arm looped around a crying Ozzie, keeping her tucked into him. His clothes are soaking wet.
After an inspection of Mica’s entire body, I see nothing else injured on him but the long scratch on his arm. It’s still bleeding and I take my sweatshirt off and wrap it around his arm before I carry him off the boat, and Ellis helps Ozzie off. One of the workers, a frazzled teenage girl, asks me, “Is everyone okay? Should I call an ambulance?”
I shake my head. “I think we can drive ourselves to the hospital. Thank you.”
Ellis is now carrying Ozzie, who is clutching onto him for dear life. “Hey, let me take you guys,” he says.
“Okay, thank you.” My voice is shaky, and I know I shouldn’t drive. I am so horrified by everything that I can’t even be embarrassed that Ellis has managed to save me—yet again.
25
At the hospital, Mica is given a couple stitches and a sling so that he can take care of his arm for a few days. Ozzie is given a lollipop. Ellis watches the kids when I step out to call Marcella.
She answers immediately. “What happened?” she says as a greeting.
Normally I would make fun of her for that. But I burst into tears instead.
“Cass??Cass. What happened?” There’s an edge of hysteria to her voice and it immediately sobers me.
“Sorry, nothing big, don’t worry.” I take a breath. “Um, so you know how I always make fun of you for giving me that handwritten medical consent note when I babysit the kids?”
I hear her suck in a breath. I hurry and say, “Mica fell off the swan boat and hurt his arm, so he got stitches and a little sling. He’ll be fine but I amso fuckingsorry, Mar.”
I hear her giant sigh of relief as if she’s right next to me. “Oh my god, that’s it? I almost fucking walked into the sea right now!”
“I know, I’m sorry. I think I’m wound up from it all and shouldhave waited a beat before calling you. Sorry I worried you. I’m just…sorry.”
“Hey, it’s fine.” Her voice is gentler now. “He’s a kid, he’s going to get hurt on my watch or your watch. Don’t beat yourself up about it. But can I speak to him?”
“Yes, of course, let me go over there.” I change the call to FaceTime and walk back into the curtained-off area where Ellis is sitting with the kids. I turn the phone to Mica.
“Ellis?” I hear Marcella’s voice ask incredulously and I wince. Right, forgot to mention him.
“Oh, he happened to be at the park,” I say with aCan you fucking believe ittone. “And yet again, saved the day.”
Ellis turns red. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“You savedmy child.” Marcella’s voice echoes in the room. “It’s a big fucking deal! Now, where’s my baby?”
I hand Mica the phone and he FaceTimes with his mom, cheerfully showing her his stitches and sling. Ozzie, sitting beside her brother on the bed, clambers over to him.
I gesture for Ellis to follow me outside the curtain. He does, and it’s only when we’re alone that I finally feel my adrenaline go back to normal human levels. “I don’t even know how to thank you,” I say.
“You just did,” he says with a smile. “It’s okay. Please, stop thanking me.” And there’s something on the edge of his voice that makes me pause.
“I feel so awful,” I say. “I knew Mica couldn’t swim. Why did I pick this stupid activity? It was so irresponsible.” The weight of it suddenly pushes down on my shoulders and I wish I could sit down.
“The odds of him falling off a goddamnswan boatwere pretty low,” he says. “And the lake is five feet deep. He wasn’t really in danger.”
“Except he tore up his arm and is probably traumatized for life!”
“Yes, I’m sure every time he sees a giant swan boat, he’ll have a panic attack from here on out.”
Laughter comes out of me in an ugly honk. “You kid, but…”
And then Ellis reaches out and squeezes my arm. “You did nothing wrong. Everyone’s fine.”
