\u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg\u2019s voice remained controlled.<\/p>\n
Barely.<\/p>\n
Emma answered through the phone.<\/p>\n
I could hear hospital sounds behind her.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmergency department.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Anna.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt home?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs the baby okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you bleeding?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
He closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat have they told you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot much.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did you faint?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat were you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStanding in the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you hit your head?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel caught me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg exhaled.<\/p>\n
Good Daniel.<\/p>\n
He did not say it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you need?\u201d<\/p>\n
The question came sooner this time.<\/p>\n
Emma was silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg sat.<\/p>\n
I sat beside him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want us there?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n
No argument.<\/p>\n
No assumption.<\/p>\n
Asked.<\/p>\n
Answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll come.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow is fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can get tonight\u2019s flight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said tomorrow is fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
I watched the battle happen in his face.<\/p>\n
Every instinct screamed now.<\/p>\n
Emma had fainted.<\/p>\n
Hospital.<\/p>\n
Postpartum.<\/p>\n
Unknown cause.<\/p>\n
He wanted motion.<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n
His hand tightened around mine.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll come tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the call, Greg opened the airline app.<\/p>\n
His fingers shook.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a seven-ten.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the morning?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBook it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think tomorrow is okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told us tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if something changes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen she\u2019ll call.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
Then stared at the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hate this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
We packed.<\/p>\n
Not frantically.<\/p>\n
At least not visibly.<\/p>\n
At eight that evening, Daniel called.<\/p>\n
Emma\u2019s blood tests showed significant anemia.<\/p>\n
The doctors believed it was related to postpartum blood loss and recovery.<\/p>\n
They were treating her.<\/p>\n
She was stable.<\/p>\n
Greg asked whether she was being admitted.<\/p>\n
Yes.<\/p>\n
Overnight observation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can handle her?\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
Daniel paused.<\/p>\n
Greg heard himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. That sounded terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel laughed tiredly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can handle my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cActually\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg straightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI could use help tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust being here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg\u2019s eyes filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n
He swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the call, he sat at the kitchen table.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did it again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAsked if he could handle Anna.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou corrected yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter saying it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProgress is not never making the old mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCatching it before you build a house inside it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled faintly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds like something printed on a mug.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll order one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next morning, our flight left on time.<\/p>\n
Greg did not treat this as a personal favor from aviation.<\/p>\n
We reached the hospital shortly before noon.<\/p>\n
Daniel met us downstairs carrying Anna.<\/p>\n
The baby was asleep against his chest.<\/p>\n
He looked exhausted.<\/p>\n
Greg approached.<\/p>\n
For a second I thought he would take her automatically.<\/p>\n
Instead he asked, \u201cWant me to hold her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s relief was immediate.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg took Anna.<\/p>\n
She stirred.<\/p>\n
Then settled.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi again.\u201d<\/p>\n
He kissed her head.<\/p>\n
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t slept.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGo sit down. Eat. Whatever you need.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got her.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sentence carried no claim.<\/p>\n
Only an offer.<\/p>\n
Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n
We went upstairs.<\/p>\n
Emma looked better than I expected.<\/p>\n
Still pale.<\/p>\n
Still tired.<\/p>\n
But sitting up.<\/p>\n
Greg entered.<\/p>\n
She smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou listened.\u201d<\/p>\n
He frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
He understood.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told me tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hated every second.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
He kissed her forehead.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTired.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cScared?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLess.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sat.<\/p>\n
Anna woke in his arms.<\/p>\n
Emma reached.<\/p>\n
Greg immediately handed her over.<\/p>\n
No hesitation.<\/p>\n
Emma smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re getting good at that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGiving babies back.\u201d<\/p>\n
He laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have extensive recent training.\u201d<\/p>\n
The doctor arrived later.<\/p>\n
She explained the anemia.<\/p>\n
Emma\u2019s levels were low enough to require close monitoring and treatment, but she was responding.<\/p>\n
No evidence suggested a more dangerous complication.<\/p>\n
Greg listened.<\/p>\n
He asked concise questions.<\/p>\n
What symptoms should prompt immediate return?<\/p>\n
What follow-up was needed?<\/p>\n
What limitations mattered?<\/p>\n
Then he stopped.<\/p>\n
The doctor left.<\/p>\n
Emma stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was reasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can be reasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHistorically disputed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg smiled.<\/p>\n
Then Emma became serious.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I was dying.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room changed.<\/p>\n
Daniel took her hand.<\/p>\n
I sat on the other side.<\/p>\n
Greg remained near the foot of the bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I woke up,\u201d she continued, \u201cDaniel was yelling my name.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice shook.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna was crying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I\u2019d leave her.\u201d<\/p>\n
He moved toward her.<\/p>\n
Then stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I hug you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma began crying.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg wrapped his arms around her.<\/p>\n
She pressed her face against his shoulder.<\/p>\n
For a long time, he said nothing.<\/p>\n
No promise that it would never happen.<\/p>\n
No assurance he could not make.<\/p>\n
When Emma finally pulled away, Greg sat beside her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to think being a parent meant preventing the terrible thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma wiped her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat seems impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled sadly.<\/p>\n
\u201cTook me awhile.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what does it mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg looked at Anna.<\/p>\n
\u201cShowing up when the terrible thing scares you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma leaned against him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds better.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLess impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to be impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
And he did.<\/p>\n
That evening, Emma was discharged.<\/p>\n
We stayed at their apartment.<\/p>\n
This time, the spare room.<\/p>\n
Because they asked.<\/p>\n
Greg made dinner.<\/p>\n
Daniel slept.<\/p>\n
I held Anna while Emma showered.<\/p>\n
Nothing dramatic happened.<\/p>\n
That was the gift.<\/p>\n
At midnight, Anna cried.<\/p>\n
I woke.<\/p>\n
Then heard footsteps.<\/p>\n
Greg.<\/p>\n
I followed.<\/p>\n
He stood outside Emma and Daniel\u2019s bedroom.<\/p>\n
The door was partly open.<\/p>\n
Anna cried again.<\/p>\n
Greg raised his hand to knock.<\/p>\n
Then stopped.<\/p>\n
Inside, Daniel murmured.<\/p>\n
The crying softened.<\/p>\n
Greg lowered his hand.<\/p>\n
He turned and found me behind him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
We went back to bed.<\/p>\n
In the morning, Emma was tired but steady.<\/p>\n
Greg made coffee.<\/p>\n
She sat in the rocking chair with Anna.<\/p>\n
The old scratches caught the morning light.<\/p>\n
Greg leaned against the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I ask something weird?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWere you lonely after we left?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
Then back at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren\u2019t supposed to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it wasn\u2019t your job to fix.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked down at Anna.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt should.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid I make it worse by moving away?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
His answer was firm.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou living your life was never something you did to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma\u2019s eyes filled.<\/p>\n
Greg continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mistake was treating the space you left as proof something had been taken.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSpace.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma looked at Anna.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike rescue dogs?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n
Greg did too.<\/p>\n
Then his phone buzzed.<\/p>\n
He checked it.<\/p>\n
A rescue message.<\/p>\n
He read it and put the phone away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Emma asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing urgent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not answering?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLater.\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled.<\/p>\n
That afternoon, Michael called.<\/p>\n
He wanted an update.<\/p>\n
After hearing Emma was improving, he said something that surprised us.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire and I have news too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg immediately looked worried.<\/p>\n
Michael laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood news.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re moving back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot home-home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBack to the States.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably summer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeattle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s still far.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I mean\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
Then smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
No disappointment disguised as concern.<\/p>\n
No calculation of miles.<\/p>\n
No suggestion that Michael choose somewhere closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire got an offer there,\u201d Michael explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy company approved the transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be in the same country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cLow bar.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProgress.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the call, Greg stood by the window.<\/p>\n
I joined him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not going to suggest Seattle neighborhoods?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019m keeping them.\u201d<\/p>\n
I kissed his cheek.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrowth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two days later, Emma felt strong enough that we prepared to leave.<\/p>\n
At the door, Greg hugged her.<\/p>\n
\u201cCall if you need us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cOr?\u201d<\/p>\n
He caught it.<\/p>\n
\u201cOr if you don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBetter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel shook his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor trusting me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
He glanced at Anna.<\/p>\n
Then back at Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou earned that before I gave it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel seemed surprised.<\/p>\n
Greg smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy delay.\u201d<\/p>\n
They hugged.<\/p>\n
On the flight home, Greg slept.<\/p>\n
Actually slept.<\/p>\n
While his daughter recovered hundreds of miles away.<\/p>\n
While his granddaughter depended on two other people.<\/p>\n
While the rescue functioned without him.<\/p>\n
I watched him for a while.<\/p>\n
Then I looked out the window.<\/p>\n
The man beside me was still Greg.<\/p>\n
Still anxious.<\/p>\n
Still inclined to make lists.<\/p>\n
Still capable of turning a minor household repair into an engineering assessment.<\/p>\n
Change had not replaced him.<\/p>\n
It had loosened his grip.<\/p>\n
When we landed, he turned on his phone.<\/p>\n
There were nine messages.<\/p>\n
He read them.<\/p>\n
None were emergencies.<\/p>\n
Then he stopped at one.<\/p>\n
A photograph from Nina.<\/p>\n
Susan and Steve were sitting together in a sunny window.<\/p>\n
Steve was bigger now.<\/p>\n
Strong.<\/p>\n
Beneath them lay the faded blue blanket.<\/p>\n
Greg showed me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey kept it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled.<\/p>\n
Then another message appeared.<\/p>\n
Harold\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n
Walter had died that morning.<\/p>\n
Greg\u2019s smile disappeared.<\/p>\n
He read the sentence again.<\/p>\n
Then once more.<\/p>\n
I touched his hand.<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
And grief, familiar now in a different form, came quietly into his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you?\u201d Greg\u2019s voice remained controlled. Barely. Emma answered through the phone. I could hear hospital sounds behind her. \u201cEmergency department.\u201d \u201cDaniel?\u201d \u201cWith Anna.\u201d \u201cAt home?\u201d \u201cNo, here.\u201d \u201cIs … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13487"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13511,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13487\/revisions\/13511"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}