Chapter 2 - Whitney’s Night
The truck hit Claire’s car on Riverside just after nine that evening.
She had been stopped at a red light when the pickup skidded through the intersection and struck the passenger side. The impact spun her car onto the curb.
Noah was not with her.
He had been at home with a neighbor who agreed to watch him while Claire picked up formula and medicine.
That was the only reason Claire could breathe when paramedics pulled her from the damaged car.
At St. Anne’s Hospital, doctors reset her broken arm and stitched the cut near her eyebrow. Nothing was life-threatening, but she could not safely lift a newborn.
Her neighbor brought Noah to the hospital but had two children of her own and could not stay overnight.
At 10:47 p.m., Claire called her parents.
Music played behind Frank’s voice.
Plates clinked.
People laughed.
“Dad, I need you and Mom to take Noah for the night.”
Frank sounded irritated before she finished explaining.
“What is this now?”
“I was in a car accident. My arm is broken. I can’t lift him.”
A pause.
Then Frank said, “Tonight is Whitney’s engagement dinner.”
Claire stared at the ceiling.
“I’m in the hospital.”
“And Whitney is finally getting the kind of evening she deserves.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“I’m not asking you to cancel anything. I need help with your grandson.”
“You made your own bed, Claire.”
The words came easily.
“You chose to have a baby without a husband. You chose to move out. You chose to be stubborn.”
“Dad—”
May you like
“No. Not tonight. It’s Whitney’s night.”
Then he hung up.
