Chapter 38

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

MARGO

We spent the evening watching movies and reenacting our favorite parts while laughing till we cried. Daniel was too tired to come over, which was disappointing, but I know he has a lot on his mind. Laura picked Olive up around ten, and now, we're getting ready for bed. I sit on my bed braiding Annie's hair so it doesn't get frizzy while she sleeps.

"You and Olive seem to be getting along," I say.

"Yeah," Annie says. She closes her book and turns to face me. "I think we could be friends."

I know they could be friends. "Why don't you invite her over again?"

Annie shrugs. "I don't want her to think I'm weird."

I laugh. "She's not going to think that. Daniel says she needs friends too."

"But what would we even do? We already watched movies this time, and if we do that every time, she might get bored."

This is the first time I've ever seen Annie so concerned about making a good impression. It makes my heart happy. She wants to branch out, but doesn't know how. "You don't have to worry about that. Good friends can do nothing and still have a great time. Besides, I doubt you two would get bored of movies anytime soon. Just invite her over and see what happens."

"I guess I could...?," she says. "You don't think it's too soon?"

I shake my head. "Nope. Make plans before you two forget how well you get along." I tie her hair at the end of the braid and let it fall against Annie's back. She lies on the bed and covers her face with her hands. "I think I have a friend, Margo."

I lie next to her and stare up at the ceiling and smile. Annie made a friend, and I couldn't be happier for her. She did it all on her own too. I didn't force it. That's what makes it so much better.

Our doorbell rings and we both jump up.

"Who'd be here this late?" Annie asks.

I have no idea. Did Olive forget something? She's been gone over an hour, so I have a hard time believing it's her. We go to the same school so if she forgot something, it would make more sense for us to bring it to her tomorrow. Maybe Daniel? He was supposed to come over after he saw his grandma, but he said he was too tired.

"I'm not sure," I say. "I'll go look." I leave our room and head down the hall toward the door. Annie follows me closely.

I stand on my tiptoes to look through the peephole. Maria Jackman stands on our doorstep, banging on the door. "Please answer," she calls.

"What's wrong?" I ask, opening the door.

Maria pants as she leans her hand on the doorframe to steady herself. "Is your mom home? "

I turn to Annie. "Go get Mama."

Annie takes off running down the hall to our parents' room.

"What's wrong?" I ask again.

Maria's face burns red with tears. "My mom," she says, trying to breathe. "The baby. My dad isn't home." She doesn't say much, but she doesn't have to.

Mama comes rushing toward us. She doesn't stop to talk to Maria. She runs past us and around the corner.

I loop my arm around Maria, and we stagger behind. Once inside their house, Annie sits with Maria and the other kids, trying to calm them down while I follow Mama into the bedroom.

Mrs. Jackman is on the ground, lying on her side. "Please help me get to the hospital," she says.

Mama drops to her knees and starts to check Mrs. Jackman's pulse and temperature. "Did you call 911 yet?"

She shakes her head. "I didn't want to worry the kids."

Within seconds, Mama is on the phone calling for an ambulance. "Go find towels," she tells me.

I find the nearest bathroom and gather as many towels as I can carry before running back to the bedroom. I set them down next to Mama.

Mama lays one of the towels underneath Mrs. Jackman. "The baby is already crowning."

Mrs. Jackman shakes her head. "It's too early for the baby to come."

She isn't full term yet, which makes the situation even scarier, but Mama stays calm. She helps Mrs. Jackman get into a more comfortable position and helps her breathe. Then she asks me to go help Annie. She wants us to take the kids to our house because she doesn't want the kids to hear Mrs. Jackman and be frightened.

We gather all of the kids, reassuring them that everything will be okay. We take diapers and wipes for the littles and bribe the older kids with the promise of ice cream, and one by one, we manage to get all of the kids out of the house.

Maria holds the youngest, rocking her, in our living room.

"Is Mommy going to be okay?" one of the younger siblings asks me. They have tears in their eyes and their pouty face breaks my heart.

I take their hand and lead them to the couch. "My mama is with her, and she's going to help her."

They nod, but there's still fear in their eyes. "I'm scared."

I wipe their tears and help them sit on the couch. "It's going to be okay. I promise."

Should I promise? Probably not. I have no control over the situation, but I know Mrs. Jackman is in good hands.

With Papa's help we get ahold of Mr. Jackman. He's a truck driver so he's currently two states away. He gives us the number of the kids' aunt, who gets in the car right away and starts driving across town. We put on a show and bundle the kids in blankets and serve them ice cream as they wait.

It doesn't take long for the ambulance to come. As soon as the siren blares through the air, the kids start crying and asking questions.

"Is Mommy going to die?"

"Can we see Mommy?"

"Is the baby okay?"

Maria gets off the couch and runs to the window. I stand next to her as Mrs. Jackman leaves her house on a stretcher. In seconds Maria runs outside and up to her mother. I follow her, knowing I'll have to convince her to come back to the house with me.

Mama walks next to Mrs. Jackman as they near the ambulance.

"Mommy!" Maria says, rushing up to them.

Mrs. Jackman holds out her hand. She has a tiny baby in her arms that's wrapped in blankets and wears a little hat that's too big for it.

Maria takes her hand, tears running down her face. "Are you going to be okay?"

Mrs. Jackman squeezes her hand and gives a feeble smile. "You have a new brother."

"I want to come with you," Maria says.

Mama gives Maria a hug, patting her back. "I'll be with her, but I need you to stay and help take care of your brothers and sisters. Can you do that?"

"But what if something happens?"

Mama rests her hands on Maria's shoulders. "I'll take care of her. I promise."

Maria hugs her mother. Mrs. Jackman kisses her, and then she's put in the ambulance, leaving us alone in the yard after mere minutes. I take Maria's hand and lead her back to the house.

The rest of the night goes by in a blur. We watch the kids until their aunt comes to get them. Then Papa, Annie, and I wait in the living room until we receive an update from Mama. After about an hour she lets us know she'll be staying the night with Mrs. Jackman, and we fall asleep around two in the morning.

I wake up around ten o'clock to Mama coming home. She peeks into our room and I gesture for her to come closer. She tiptoes, trying not to wake Annie.

"How did you get home?" I ask.

"Papa came and got me." Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail and she wears a fresh pair of clothes.

"How's Mrs. Jackman and the baby?"

She smiles from ear to ear. "They are amazing. The baby will be in NICU for a few weeks because he's early, but thankfully there aren't any other complications."

I can't help but be in awe of my mama. When I walked in and saw Mrs. Jackman, I was scared, but Mama was brave. She made sure they were okay and got the help they needed. Even after being up all night, she's in here, bright and cheery. The event didn't drain her. It lifted her up.

Whether Mama wants to admit it or not, she needs to go back to being a labor and delivery nurse. I know she thinks it'll be too hard, but I know it'll be what holds her together.

It's hard to explain why I'm happy. We're just sitting around the living room, but something about it is special. Annie and Olive are arguing over who is cuter—Noah LaLonde or Ashby Gentry. Mama and Papa are in the kitchen cooking while listening to their favorite country station. And Daniel sits next to me, holding my hand and resting his head on my shoulder. Everyone is relaxed, laughing and smiling. This is how it's supposed to be. It's how I want it to stay.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Daniel asks .

"Sure," I say.

Daniel stands up and pulls me to my feet.

"Where are you going?" Annie asks.

"To get away from you," he says.

Annie rolls her eyes.

"Hey," Olive says, throwing a pillow at him.

He catches it, laughing. Then he throws it back. "Stay out of trouble, you two."

"No promises," Olive says.

"We'll be back for dinner," I call loud enough for my parents to hear.

We walk out the door before anyone finds an excuse to keep us from leaving. I zip up my jacket to keep the fall air from freezing me, and then I look up at the stars. Hundreds of little lights fill the sky, creating the perfect backdrop for our walk. I find Daniel's hand again and lace our fingers together.

"How are you feeling?" Daniel asks.

"Pretty good," I say. It's partially true. I feel better than I have been lately, but I think it's because I'm starting to feel at peace with leaving. My lungs still burn with every breath and I'm exhausted, but I'm grateful to be alive. I can't imagine a better way to spend the evening.

"That's good," he says.

"Why do you ask?"

He shrugs. "I'm worried. You've lost weight."

"Oh," I say. I hadn't noticed, but it's to be expected. I don't have the appetite I used to. I hug his arm. "I feel great right now."

We walk to the park and we both sit in the swings, swaying back and forth. Daniel keeps a close eye on me. I can tell he doesn't believe me, but he doesn't say anything.

"Are you nervous about the wedding?" I ask .

He stares down at his feet. "I'm trying not to think about it."

"Do you still want to go?" I ask.

"I'll regret it if I don't."

I stand, walking closer. "I'll be with you."

His eyes soften, and he hops up, wrapping me in a hug. "I know."

"You know what we have to do?"

"Hmm?"

I pull back, biting at my smile. "We need to work on our cover story."

He laughs. "What?"

"We need to have a plan if someone asks us why we're there. That's what spies do."

"And we're spies?" He raises an eyebrow.

My smile widens. "Of course."