What I could never, ever forgive was the monstrous conclusion he’d come to, that pushing Austin out of the nest was an acceptable way to balance the family books.

At eight in the morning, the moment the business offices opened, I called the financial assistance department of the regional hospital system.

The woman on the phone was surprisingly kind, explaining that given our sudden drop in income and the birth of premature twins, we qualified to apply for a major hardship reduction.

She put a ninety-day freeze on our outstanding medical balance right away and set up an affordable twenty-five-dollar monthly payment plan while our formal assistance paperwork was processed.

Next, I swallowed my pride and phoned my direct supervisor at the medical billing company where I’d worked for the past seven years.