“i’m still around,”she said.“call if u need anything, i mean it”
“Thank you.”
Shiloh picked up her purse. “I think I’m going to head out—unless you’d like me to wait with you. I don’t mind.”
“Nope,” Angel said.
Shiloh called her mom for a ride home.
Thirty-Two
Shiloh waited until that night to check in with Cary. She got confused looking up the time zones.
“how’s it going?”she sent, after she’d put the kids to bed.
Cary didn’t text back right away. He was probably at work. Shiloh took a shower and climbed into bed. She had a stack of plays to read for a youth competition. Her phone buzzed—Cary.
“Not great,”he’d sent.“They think my mom had a heart attack.”
“oh my god, i’m sorry. can i do anything to help?”
“No,”he replied.Then—“Thank you.”
Shiloh stared at the phone, biting her lip while she tried to think of what to say next.
“I can’t tell how bad it is,”Cary sent.“I guess the doctors aren’t sure.”
“u getting good info?”
“Yeah. Angel has been helpful. She and her mom aren’t talking, so Angel has decided to ally with me. In a surprise turn of events.”
“do u need allies?”
“And spies.”
“i’m sorry, cary”
“I owe you one,”he sent.“Again.”
“never”
Shiloh watched her phone, waiting, but that was the end of it.
She checked in, again the next night.“how’s your mom?”
Cary didn’t text back.
“Shiloh?”
She recognized his voice this time. “Cary?”
“I’m sorry I keep calling you in the middle of the night.”
She pulled the phone away to look at it. Onea.m.“It’s not that late. What’s up?”
“I, uh...” His voice was faint.
“Cary? Is your mom okay?”
