de the private, bilingual Montessori school, forcing herself to take slow, deep breaths. The

playground, the frantic beat of her hea

the monkey bars, his laughter echoing across the yard. Mason, her quiet obse

hing himself at her legs like a miniature cannonball. "The

p him up, but a wave of exhaustion from the long hours m

of fatigue in her eyes. He wordlessly took her heavy handbag, a

ons, the way Mason's brow furrowed in concentration, it was all him. The ghost she had run from w

now," she said, her v

ake, letting Miles argue about chocolate brioche and letting Mason quietly correct the

t for emergencies, began to ring. It was Dr. Coleman's line again. She hesitated, then, not

irector's obsequious tone. It was deep, resonan

urn to the hospi

quest. The voice of a man

ill had the power to stop her heart. The air thickene

th his cube. His sharp eyes darted from th

oth boys watching her. She lowered her voice, softened the edges, and wrapped

his is not a life-threatening emergency, ple

n't wait, Doctor. You have thirty minutes. If you value your position at th

he wheel. "Ownership of shares

who can remove every

he hu

silent for a

g blue eyes wide in the rearview mirror. "Wa

reassuring smile. "No, sweetie. No one is g

knuckled grip on the steering wheel, his small brow furrowed in that famil

nected call on the phone, his face a thunderous mask. The sh

to be suffocating. "Ster, don't be angry. Some women love m

's jaw h

ng wounded and admiring, "I would never be able to see a doctor like t

ession softened. He put an arm around her, his focus shiftin

promise you, by the end of the night, that doc

en's over Kara's shoulder. He gave a su

t. It was time for