The second officer glanced past me. “We’re Officers Daniels and Cooper. Is your son here?”
My stomach dropped so hard it hurt. “Why? What happened?”
Before either of them answered, David came into the hall behind me.
Somebody pounded on my front door hard enough to rattle the frame.
Officer Daniels looked at him, then back at me. “Ma’am, are you aware of what your son did yesterday?”
My hand shot to the doorframe. “What’s going on?”
David went pale. “Mom…”
Officer Daniels lifted a hand. “He’s not under arrest.”
That should have helped, but it didn’t.
“Then why are you here?” I snapped.
Officer Cooper shifted awkwardly. “Because what your son did reached people, ma’am. Someone wants to thank him.”
“What’s going on?”
I turned toward David. He looked like he might pass out.
“Shoes,” I said.
“What?”
“Let’s put on some shoes, baby. If this turns into a nightmare, you’re not doing it in socks.”
A minute later, we stepped onto the porch.
There was a patrol car at the curb.
And next to it stood Nathan, hat in his hands, looking like a man who hadn’t slept at all.
“If this turns into a nightmare, you’re not doing it in socks.”
I moved in front of David without thinking. “Nathan? If this is about the wheelchair, he used his own property. I know he should’ve told me first, but he didn’t steal anything.”
Nathan looked like I’d hit him.
“Megan,” he said quietly. “That’s not why we’re here.”
Officer Daniels stepped in. ‘Ma’am, nobody is in trouble. Nathan asked us to bring you over. He’s waiting outside.”
“For what?” I asked.
David looked up at me, pale and confused. “Mom?”
I exhaled hard through my nose. “Fine. We go together, baby.”
“That’s not why we’re here.”
***
Ten minutes later, we pulled up outside Nathan’s house. My nerves still hadn’t settled. David kept glancing at me like he was trying to figure out whether this was a prank or a disaster.
Nathan led us to the porch and opened the door.
Inside, Emily and Jillian were waiting at the kitchen table. There was a humble spread laid out: pancakes, scrambled eggs, sliced fruit, coffee, and orange juice.
It was the kind of breakfast people make when thank you doesn’t feel big enough.
Emily’s new wheelchair gleamed.
Jillian stood first. “Megan, David… please come in.”
Emily’s new wheelchair gleamed.
David looked lost. “What’s going on?”
Officer Daniels smiled and stepped aside.
That’s when I saw it.
A brand-new guitar case leaned against the wall near the table.
David stopped cold.
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