“Mom, the sauce!”
Emma’s voice snapped me back.
I realized I had stopped stirring.
At the same moment, my phone buzzed on the counter.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
Then I saw the area code.
The hospital.
My stomach tightened before I even answered.
“Hello?”
“Is this Mrs. Bennett?” a woman asked carefully.
That careful tone told me everything.
“Yes. This is Claire.”
“This is Nurse Patel from St. Margaret’s. Your husband was brought into the emergency room. You need to come immediately.”
For a moment, the kitchen disappeared.
The boiling pot.
The homework.
The plates in Emma’s hands.
All of it blurred.
“What happened?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I can’t give more information over the phone. Please come in.”
The call ended.
I gripped the counter.
Liam lifted his head.
“Mom? Is something wrong?”
