I race up to her and follow her into the kitchen. “What are we having?”
“This.” She pulls on my t-shirt and I wrap my arms around her and lean in for a kiss. Sweet as the chocolate chip cookies packed in a plastic bag on the table. Warm as the summer sun. Necessary as air.
I pulled him close, took off his mask—brazen woman that I am. And kissed him.
And I’ll do it again. I’m sure of it. I sit beside him as his gaze takes me in inch by inch. He’s studied my hair, badly in need of a cut, and he’s gone over every inch of my face and my body. On a normal day, I’d feel self-conscious. But today, it’s wonderful to be the center of attention.
“C’mon, Rex.” Like I have to prod him to hurry after Monster.
We race around the corner where a woman wearing an Old Bay mask is picking up the little creature.
It’s Jessica. My heart gets a workout like nothing it’s experienced before. It pounds out a tune before rising with joy when she looks up at me and smiles.
“Look what I found. This little kitten ran right into my arms.”
Smart cat. Exactly what I wish I could do. I stop about ten feet away. I don’t know if I should get any closer to the woman who isn’t speaking to me.
I deserve it. Jessica has ghosted me. For more than a week, Jessica hasn’t responded to a text, answered a call, called me back, or answered an email. Yup. I know I did wrong. I know she’s angry. Even without hearing it straight from her.
“Your daddy?” My heart shudders to a stop as I grab a kitchen chair for support. It can’t be.
“That’s what he said, Mommy.” Lori takes a bite of her sandwich, watching me like I’m about to perform a magic trick. I’d like to disappear but that isn’t possible.
As I listen for the sixth, or maybe it’s the seventh time, to bits of what I recorded, I hear exhaustion, a little fear or maybe it’s just concern for their own health, and I hear pride, too. These people, from the techs to the EMTs to the nurses and doctors, signed up to save lives.
That’s what they’re struggling to do now.
And I’m trying to figure out how to tell their story so my readers know there are lots and lots of heroes out there.
“So you’re telling me you don’t have anyone to officiate at the wedding?”
“Nope. I know an internet officiant but he lives too far away. Matt’s sister has two little kids so she can’t do it.”
“What do you need?”
“Can you do it?”
The trouble with Zoom calls is how visible you are to everybody else—and to yourself. As Claire goes through the news budget with the rest of the staff, I find my attention wandering to Rashima who’s got the baby on her lap.
She’s my hero during this crisis.
It’s here, the audio version of Chapter 1—Jessica: Starting Out. Meet JESSICA, starting her first day as a reporter during a pandemic. Meet DAN, a seasoned veteran of the newsroom. Already Jessica doesn’t trust him—and they haven’t even met? Then comes the bad news: Their editor has asked Dan to oversee her work as she…
Coming on Wednesday! Since I know some people prefer an audio book, I’ve decided to create one myself. Now I warn you, I’m no Bahni Turpin (I love to hear her read a story). But I’ve done my amateur best to bring you an audio version of my book. They’ll post right here on Wednesdays.…
Mary K. Tilghman writes 