He drove faster than he ever had in his life, every red light feeling like a personal insult, every second a gamble.
In the mirror, her chest rose and fell. So did his heart, unevenly.
Eli whispered from the back seat, his voice small. “She promised she would help me with my science project tonight.”
Noah swallowed hard. “She said she would stay.”
Ethan felt something twist deep inside him. Their mother had been gone for almost three years, and in that time his sons had learned to be quiet. Too quiet. He had told himself it was resilience. He had told himself they were adjusting.
What he had not admitted was how much he hid behind work because numbers never cried. The woman in the back seat was named Lila Moore. She had been hired a month earlier to help around the house. Ethan had barely registered her presence.
He had not noticed how the boys laughed more often. He had not noticed how they ate full meals again. He had not noticed that the house felt warmer.
Until now. The emergency entrance of Riverside General flooded them with light. Ethan barely slowed before jumping out, lifting Lila again with arms that trembled under more than weight.