“I am.”

Then I walked around him. For one second I expected him to block me again. He didn’t. He moved aside — not because he respected me, but because uncertainty had finally done what decency hadn’t.

The cool night air hit my face as I stepped outside. Sabina stirred against me. The valet, a college-aged kid in a black coat, took one look at her and ran for my car without being told.

Chapter 5 — The Truthful Room

I drove straight to the children’s emergency entrance.

The waiting room was bright, noisy, and honest in a way my home hadn’t been. Parents sat with blankets around their shoulders. Toddlers slept against their chests.

A vending machine buzzed in the corner. One nurse looked at Sabina and moved us quickly through triage. They checked her temperature, oxygen, hydration, spoke calmly and precisely, and no one asked whether dinner had been served.