I interrupted her. My voice came out louder than I intended. “Get in.”
The light was still red. The drivers behind me started honking. Emily finally opened the door and sat down, clutching Isabella against her body. Once inside, she bowed her head. Her hands still held the coins, and I could hear the soft clinking of the metal. I rolled up the window to block out the noise from outside. My breathing was heavy.
“Emily, what are you doing?” I asked. My voice was low, but I felt a mixture of rage and panic at the same time. She didn’t answer immediately; she just stroked Isabella’s face. The baby whimpered softly as if she were uncomfortable. I swallowed hard, trying to keep myself from exploding, but there was a question pounding in my head—a question that made the whole world seem absurd.
I looked at Emily out of the corner of my eye and asked her, “Where are the car and the house we bought for you?”
Emily closed her eyes for a moment.
When she opened them again, they were full of tears that didn’t dare to fall.