“What do you mean she’s not there? Have you two been alone?”

“Yes. I don’t know what to do.”

Ryan went completely still for one second. Then he shot to his feet so fast his chair crashed backward. He grabbed his keys off the desk and ran out without telling anyone a thing.

On the elevator ride down, he called Nicole. Her phone was off.

He called again.

And again.

Nothing.

He got in his car, started it, and tried one more time.

Voicemail.

“Damn it.”

He drove straight to Nicole’s place, making it in under thirty minutes. He parked badly, ran to the door, and pounded as hard as he could.

“Ethan! It’s Dad! Open up!”

No answer.

He shoved the door. It wasn’t locked.

The house was dead silent.

In the living room, Ethan sat on the floor clutching a pillow. His face was dirty, his eyes were swollen, and he looked exhausted and hungry.

“Dad… I thought you weren’t coming.”

“Where’s Lily?”

Ethan pointed at the couch.

Lily was lying there without moving, pale and dry-lipped. Ryan touched her forehead.

She was burning up and barely responding.

He scooped her up immediately.

“Come on. Right now. Just follow me.”

“Is she sleeping, Dad?”

“No. But she’s going to be okay. Let’s go.”

Ryan rushed outside with Lily in his arms while Ethan ran behind him. They got in the car, and Ryan tore off toward the hospital with his hazards on. On the way, he called Nicole again.

Still voicemail.

From the back seat, Ethan asked in a small voice, “Is Mom mad?”

Ryan tightened his grip on the wheel.

“No, buddy. Your mom just isn’t okay right now. But I’m going to take care of you. I promise.”

At the ER, nurses hurried over the second Ryan came through the doors.

“How old is she?”

“She’s three. She hasn’t really eaten in at least two days. She’s got a fever, and she passed out.”

“We’ll stabilize her. Stay here.”

Doctors laid Lily on a stretcher and rushed her away. Ethan clung to Ryan’s leg without saying a word. Ryan knelt and hugged him.

“They’re going to help her. She’s going to be okay.”

“She’s not going to die, right?”

“No, son. I promise.”

While Lily was taken to pediatric emergency care, Ryan went to the desk, gave their names, explained what he knew, and asked for social services. Within half an hour, he was answering questions.

“They were supposed to be with their mother. She told me she’d be somewhere with no signal and asked me not to call. Today my son called and said his sister wouldn’t wake up and there was no food.”