The call comes at 6:12 a.m.
I’m half-awake when my phone vibrates on the nightstand. Marcus is still asleep beside me, one arm thrown over his eyes.
Unknown number.
I almost ignore it.
Then instinct wins.
“Hello?”
“Is this Isabella Chen?”
“Yes.”
“This is Nurse Callahan from Boston General. Zara Chen is here. She listed you as her emergency contact.”
My body goes cold.
“What happened?”
“She was brought in around five-thirty. Minor injuries. She’s stable. But we need a guardian present.”
I’m already out of bed.
“Marcus,” I say sharply.
He sits up immediately.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s Zara. She’s at the hospital.”
He’s moving before I finish the sentence.
“What happened?”
“They didn’t say. Just minor injuries. Stable.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s minor.”
“I know.”
We dress in s
