“What happened?”
“Kyle cut his hair off with a knife. I woke Mom up and told her to get her ass out of bed and deal with it. Quinn is scarred for life. And Keith is black and blue and passed out in the car.”
“My god.” I paused. “Is Grace, at least, okay?”
“Well,” she said, dryly, “Quinn fed her a hot dog bologna sandwich, so the jury’s still out on that.”
I shook my head, letting the full weight of it settle in—what I’d left her to carry. It wasn’t fair, and it ended now.
“Hey,” I said, drying her cheeks with my fingers. “I’m so sorry. Things change today. I promise.”
She searched my face. “Please, Dad. Please make that be true.”
“It is,” I said. “From today forward, I’m here. With you.”
She nodded, another tear slipping free.
“So,” I said. “Where do we start?”
Emma exhaled. “With the stoner in the car.”
In the driveway,Keith was slumped in the passenger seat, his face visibly swollen, hands wrapped, and body unresponsive except for the steady rise and fall of his chest.
“How did this happen?” I asked.
Emma filled me in without drama. Dealer. Money owed. Running on fumes and bad decisions. I listened, but my mind was already moving ahead, assessing the damage and lining up next steps. Together we got Keith inside and into his room. Once he was on the bed, I turned to Emma.
“You did good,” I said. “I’ve got it from here. Go rest.”
She didn’t argue, just leaned into me for a second, and I felt how much she’d been carrying. Too much for a kid. Too much for anyone.
After she left, I checked Keith’s breathing and made sure his pulse was strong. Relief came first; then anger; then resolve. I grabbed a first aid kit and started dressing his wounds. One fire at a time. One kid at a time. You don’t fix the whole house when the kitchen’s on fire.
And when I was done, I stood there and understood something clearly: I couldn’t walk this off. I couldn’t wait it out. And I couldn’t do it alone.
I pulled out my phone. Mitch picked up on the first ring.
“Dad?”
Everything sat inside that word. Hope. Fear. Longing. That’s what it’s like when your life waits on one call.
“We haven’t found him yet.”
“Oh.” The disappointment was immediate.
“Mitch,” I said, “I need you.”
No hesitation. “I’m coming.”
The call ended, and I squared my shoulders. This was bigger than one extra pair of hands. I needed a village.
I dialed the next number.
Today, I was calling in favors.
37
MICHELLE: HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
