“And staying to prove a point can put unnecessary pressure on you and the baby.”

I called my friend Monica, who taught art at a community college and had been quietly asking for months whether everything was all right.

She opened the door before I finished carrying the diaper bag up her steps.

No speech, no questions, just a warm room and a place to set Hazel’s carrier.

When I finally told her what Brandon had said at the supermarket, Monica’s face changed.

“Why didn’t you call me?” she asked.