Heath:Goodnight, Kieran.
After another thirty seconds:
Kieran:Night, Heath.
After taking a shower, I looked at the phone again.
Night, Heath.
My first name. Not Donnelly.
The room was dark except for the parking lot security light bleeding through the curtains.
My phone buzzed again. I grabbed it.
Maggie:Call when you get a chance.
It was almost midnight. I shivered slightly, fearing the worst. She answered on the second ring.
"I'm fine. Everyone's fine."
I exhaled. "What's up?"
"What happened?"
"Nothing really. It's just Dad's prescription. Insurance changed their formula. The drug that was working isn't covered anymore."
I closed my eyes. "How much?"
"Out of pocket? Three hundred a month."
"Fuck."
"Yeah. And the mortgage, property taxes went up. Payment's going up two-forty starting next month."
I did the math in my head. Games played. Paychecks. Entry-level contract. Fixed salary. Bonus structure tied to performance metrics I wasn't guaranteed to hit.
"I can cover it."
"Heath—"
"I can. It's fine."
"I'm not asking you to—"
"I know."
She was silent for a few seconds.
"We're managing. I just wanted you to know, so you're not surprised when you see the numbers."
I raked my fingers through my hair. "I appreciate that."
After another beat: "Just keep doing what you're doing," Maggie said. "Okay?"
"I will."
"Love you."
