Jaimie made a dash for the ringing phone.

"Hello?" She puffed.

"Hi, Jaimie."

The sound of his voice helped ease her nerves. "Hi, Gwynn. How are things with Sophia?"

A long pause. Maternal fury burned her insides. If Sophia hurt Gwynn further, if she had betrayed him, Jaimie would make the girl wish she were back in an exploding house.

"Sophia's not here." He sounded hurt. "Her dad says she's in the hospital."

Jaimie scolded herself silently for jumping to conclusions. "I'm sorry Gwynn. Were her injuries worse than they thought?"

"No, nothing like that. Her dad says she's in the psychiatric ward."

"Oh my god. Gwynn, that's awful."

"Her dad says she keeps asking for me. He wondered if I could go see her tomorrow."

"Maybe you should, but I can't tomorrow Gwynn. I think I stretched my boss' goodwill to its limit taking today off on short notice."

"Sophia's dad says I can go with him. Her mom's spending her whole time at the hospital. I'd like to see her Jaimie. But I understand if you don't want me to..."

Jaimie sighed and rolled her eyes toward the white ceiling of the kitchen. How did she deny him? Until his suspension today, he never once gave her a reason to be mad at him. And didn't Eric Haze deserve a smashed nose after his prank nearly got Gwynn and Sophia killed?

"Okay Gwynn, you can go. But I don't want you being a burden. I'll give you some cab fare, so the Murrays don't have to worry about driving you home. And I expect you to keep me informed throughout the day, deal?"

"Deal. Thanks, Jaimie. I'll tell her Dad, and then I'll be on my way home. Bye."

Jaimie hung up the phone and focused on some distant point. What was happening? Until a week ago, their lives were so consistent. No excitement, no change, just a dependable existence. She and Gwynn found a good balance of friendship and parenthood in their relationship. Gwynn started to have more nights without nightmares than with. The kid had good grades. She had a steady job with decent benefits. They had a comfort zone. Now, security was slipping away. Her sister, her parents, they had all gone without warning. That taught her life does change in a matter of moments. She couldn't shake the dread one of those moments had come again.

§

Gwynn hadn't slept.

Down the hall, Jaimie's alarm clock sounded with an angry squawk. He threw on some pants and an old T–shirt and headed downstairs for something to eat.

From the kitchen table, Gwynn could trace Jaimie's progress in getting ready for work. A few stumbling thumps after the alarm were her getting up. The pipes creaking with a sudden burst of water from the washroom. Then a constant hissing meant a shower. More thumps, their pace hurried from before, were her moving to the closet. He waited for the sound of her bare feet slapping against the wooden stairs. He smiled to himself. She moved with the grace of a peg–legged pirate.

"There's a bowl of cereal here for you and some toast with jam," Gwynn said.

"Thanks." Jaimie stuffed the toast in her mouth and went to the powder room where she would fuss with her hair for a few more minutes.

She returned to the table and sat down, finishing the toast and working on the cereal.

"Are you sure you're okay going with the Murrays?" she asked.

"I'll be fine."

Her eyes said she doubted him. "I left some money on the front hall table for you. It should be enough to buy some food and get a cab home. Don't make the Murrays feel like they need to worry about you. They've got enough on their hands."

Gwynn groaned. "I know Jaimie."

Jaimie smiled. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't sleep too well." After a brief appraisal of him, she said, "Doesn't look like you did either. I hope you don't fall asleep on the poor girl."

The statement lacked Jaimie's usual joking tone. It sounded humorless and biting.

"I won't," Gwynn snipped

Jaimie held her hands up in surrender. "I know, I know, that came out too harsh. I seem to be channeling my inner overbearing mother today."

"And after I made you breakfast."

Jaimie leaned back in her chair and rubbed at her temples.

"You're right. I should relax. Things have been so...strained. I'm afraid everything's falling apart."

"Jaimie, I punched some asshole who deserved it. If it hadn't been in the school, no one would care."

"Maybe. But that's the thing. Since when do you punch assholes, whether they deserve it or not?"

"Well, it's not like I've been blown up before."

Even Gwynn winced at the growing annoyance in his voice. What was happening to him? When did his fuse get so short? Jaimie's face showed she got the message.