"Mom?" Sophia stepped inside her house and threw down her schoolbag. Somewhere at the bottom of it, her mobile phone flashed blue. Missed calls. Sophia didn't notice. She'd always been bad with her phone, much to her mom's annoyance.

She wandered into the kitchen, checked the clock on the wall.

17:24

Weird. Mom wasn't usually this late. A sinking feeling began to carve a big hole in her chest. She'd been caught. The school had phoned her mom. Already they were meeting, talking about her.

She knew it. She just knew it.

She pushed a thumb to her mouth and chewed on the nail and the skin beneath it.

I'm sure she's just late. Probably shopping. She opened the cupboards. They were pretty empty. Definitely shopping then. She let herself relax. Swallowed the lump that had been building n her throat.

Her thoughts turned to Noah. Their conversation had been fun, interesting. Even exciting. She suddenly hoped very much that she would see him again. Did he say he had homeroom with Mrs. Lancaster? Sophia was sure she had never seen him before, and there weren't that many black students at the school. He had quickly become a mystery, and that only made her want to know more about him. But how? She could go to his homeroom tomorrow, ask about him.

She laughed at herself. She would never do that. She could already hear what the other students would say.

"Why do you want to know about Noah? Oh, Sophia has a crush!" and it would quickly go around the whole school. The thought was mortifying. Pushing Noah to the back of her mind, she made herself a cup of tea and returned to the living room.

Her heart stopped.

A red light on the telephone's answering machine flashed on and off.

"Oh no," she whispered. She didn't want to hear the message. Her finger hovered over the delete button. She could just get rid of it, pretend it was never there. But what if it wasn't from the school?

But what if it was?

The lump in her throat was returning. She pushed the button. The machine's robotic voice filled the room.

You have 1 new message.

"Sophia, honey it's your aunt Jane."

Sophia let out an audible phew. It was just her aunt!

"When you get this, could you give me a call? Your mom is in the hospital. She's ok, but...well, just call me ok."

She put her tea on the table, where it would remain untouched and forgotten.

"You didn't leave a number!" she shouted at the machine. Running to where her schoolbag lay slunk against the wall, she picked it up and rummaged through it, yanking her phone from the bottom. Only then did she see the missed calls and the texts from her aunt. Sophia immediately hit the call back button.

"Come on! Pick up!" She paced, nervous energy pulling her around the room.

"Sophia?"

"Aunt Jane! I'm so sorry. I just got your messages. Where's mom? What's happened?" The words tumbled out of her mouth, rolling over one another.

"It's ok honey, it's ok," her aunt's voice was calm. "Your mom just had a fall, that's all. I'm sending your uncle Dave to come and pick you up now. He'll be there soon. But don't worry, your mom is fine."

"Can I talk to her?"

"When you get here. She's sleeping at the moment."

"OK. That's good then. Tell Uncle David to hurry please."

"He's already left. We'll see you soon sweetie."

"Ok. See you."

She hung up. A wave of guilt and panic hit her. If only she had gone to school! She would have been home in time. Wouldn't have missed those messages. Or maybe she could have even stopped the fall. Forcing herself to sit, she dug a hand into her thigh. The leg shook uncontrollably. It was something she often did when nervous or lost in a good book. She could hear her mom's voice: Sophia! Stop that. It's making the whole floor shake. For a moment I thought it was mini-earthquake!

Sophia smiled, despite her worry. Her mom said it every time, but their town had never had a single earthquake in the seventeen years Sophia had been alive.

"Please be ok, mom."

A loud knock at the door made her jump and she quickly rushed to open it.

Her uncle stood there, mop of black hair over a chubby face and hooked nose. He gave her a big grin and a quick hug which she returned.

"Sophia! Wow. I haven't seen you in years. Look at you now. You're as tall as your mom."

"I'm liked two inches taller Uncle Dave."

He laughed. "Most people are. Come on, let's get you to the hospital or Jane will kill me.

"What happened?" she asked, when they were in the car and on the way.

He kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, as he always had when Sophia was in the car. She had vague memories of her mom scalding him for not paying attention to the drive when Sophia was very young.

"She fell, that's all."

"But she's in hospital?"

He shot her a quick look. "Well...it was more of a faint really."

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Sophia gasped.

"But I'm sure your aunt will fill you in on the situation better than me," he added quickly.

"I should have been there."

"At your mom's work?" David replied quizzically.

"It happened at work?"

"Yes. Sophia, this isn't your fault. You do know that, right?"

She gave him her best, most unconvincing smile. "I know."

But the guilt remained.

The journey to the hospital seemed to take an age. Buildings, cats, dogs, trees, cars and people all blurred into one constant sliding scene of changing color. Sophia noticed none of it.

They finally reached the hospital and her uncle parked the car.

"She's this way," he led her through double doors and winding corridors. Hospital staff in blues and whites smiled at them as they passed. Sophia frowned as they stopped in front of a ward. The CCU? That can't be right. The double doors swung in as she and her uncle entered. She spotted her aunt and rushed towards her- and then stopped.

There was her mom. She lay on a hospital bed, in a hospital gown, hooked up to a hospital machine.

"Mom! What happened? I thought it was just a fall!!

Her aunt turned in her chair and jumped to her feet. "Sophia! Honey, it's ok. She did have a fall."

"Then why is she in the CCU?

"Well, the doctor's think they have found an irregularity in her heat."

Sophia felt her head fill with fog. She suddenly grew dizzy, a faint feeling of nausea building deep within her stomach.

"What? What does that mean?" Sophia didn't know much, but she knew anything to do with the heart couldn't be good.

"Just that her heart was beating a little fast. It's all ok sweetie."

At that moment Sophia hated that her aunt still spoke to her like she was a kid. Her mouth had grown dry, her head a confusion of different feelings.

She took a deep breath, felt her chest shake as she pulled the air down into her lungs. "But she will be ok? Can I wake her?"

Her aunt gave a weak smile. "I think we should let her rest a bit longer. But you can wait here. Your uncle and I can bring you some snacks? Or maybe a drink?"

Sophia nodded and then forgot immediately about anything her aunt had just said. She heard her aunt leave. Heard the curtain being drawn around her. She collapsed into the empty chair and looked up at her mom. The strongest woman Sophia had ever known suddenly looked so very weak and frail.

"Mom," she gripped her still hand. "Mom you have to be ok. Ok? You have to. I don't want to not have you in my life." Maybe she was being dramatic, but at that moment all she could think about was the very worst. Tears welled in her eyes. She quickly scrunched them shut, determined she wouldn't cry.

"Sophia?"

"Mom!"

"How are you, little monster?"

Sophia laughed at her mom's favorite nickname for her and jumped to her feet. "I'm fine! But how are you? What happened? How are you feeling?"

"I had a fall." She gave a weak smile. "Doctor's said it was something to do with my blood pressure, but now they tell me I may have a problem with my heart. Can you believe that? I'm 45, I told them. Not 65!" As she spoke, some of the strength returned to her voice. In return, some of the fear and tension fell away from Sophia.

"But with all that gray hair they might have thought you were 65," Sophia teased.

Her mom scowled. "When I get out of this bed I'll show you whose old!"

"I can't wait," Sophia said with real feeling. "But you're going to be ok, aren't you mom? Your heart is ok?"

"Of course it is. As long as I have you my heart will always be whole."

Sophia groaned. "That is so cheesy. If the terrible jokes are back, you must be ok."

"See," her mom beamed. "I'm as young, healthy and cheesy as ever."

Aunt Jane returned then, carrying an armful of snacks and candy. "Pam! You're awake! How are you feeling?" Despite her aunt's small size, she had a way of filling the entire ward with her voice. Sophia cringed inwardly, caught her mom rolling her eyes and laughed silently.

"I'm fine Jane. Honestly, I could do without you fussing over me like this."

"I'm not fussing." She fluffed at Sophia's mom's pillow. "I'm just making sure you're ok."

They were all saved by aunt Jane then by the arrival of the doctor. He was a stern looking man with small glasses and a patch of hair looping all the way around his head. On top he was as bald as an egg. A small, thin nose made him look, in Sophia's eyes, like an anxious bird.

Bird or not, all conversation had stopped when the doctor walked into the room.

He cleared his throat nervously. "Mrs. Pamela Hanson?"

"Ms." Her mom corrected.

"Mom!" Sophia protested, amazed that her mom could worry about such a small thing at a time like this.

"Sorry, yes of course. Ms Hanson. I'm glad to see you're up and talking. I came to see you earlier but was shooed away." He shot a quick glare at Aunt Jane. A glare that nobody missed. "How are you feeling? Good, I hope," he answered his own question before anybody else could. "Anyway—" he continued; eyes fixed on the chart in his hand "—we'd like to keep you overnight. I've scheduled you in for an EKG and it'd be best if we could monitor you."

"Overnight? Well that simply won't work. I feel fine doctor."

"Ms. Hanson, I—"

"Mom!"

"Pam!"

Both Aunt Jane and Sophia interrupted the doctor at the same time.

"Mom, you are staying," Sophia said quickly, before her aunt could say any more. She set her face, hoping it looked serious and adult enough that her mom would listen.

To Sophia's surprise, her mom huffed and gave in. "Fine. Can my daughter stay?"

"Of course. Of course." His eyes were still glued to the medical chart. "I'll see you put in your own room and a sleeper sofa will be made available."

"Pam, I really think Sophia should sleep in her own bed. She has school tomorrow and—" Aunt Jane had returned to fluffing Sophia's mom's already fluffy looking pillow.

"I'm staying."

A dramatic sigh. "But Pam—"

"Enough, Jane." Her mom tapered the words with a smile. "You and Dave can pick Sophia up tomorrow. And bring her a set of clean clothes so you can drop her off at school."

Another sigh. "Fine. You always were the stubborn one."

Sophia saw an opportunity then and she quickly spoke up. "Actually, could you get my clothes now?" she asked her aunt. "And maybe my books?"

"School books?"

"Reading books. But they are in my schoolbag. You can just bring my whole bag if you like."

"I'll send Dave while—"

"You go too, Jane. I'd like some time alone with my daughter," her mom's tone suggested she was done with arguing.

For a moment Sophia thought her aunt was going to protest anyway, but to her relief and surprise her aunt simply smiled and nodded. And then Sophia found herself alone with her mom.

"I'm sorry to scare you like this Soph."

Sophia sat beside her mom, inched the chair closer to the bed and squeezed her hand. "I'm not scared mom. I just wish you didn't have to be here."

"You and me both," her mom paused and began to chew the inside of her cheek. It was an action Sophia knew well. There was something on her mom's mind, only she didn't know how to say it.

"I had a phone call from your school today," her mom said at last.

Sophia felt her heart drop. She suddenly felt as if she had no control over her own face, no longer knew how to make a normal, unguilty expression.

"Relax! You look like a dog chewing toffee, moving your mouth like that. It's ok, I'm not mad. I promise. Where did you go?"

Sophia frowned. It felt like a trap. "I went to the park," she said at last.

A weak smile. "That's a good choice. Your dad and I used to go there a lot. It's very peaceful."

"You're really not mad?" Sophia didn't want to talk about her dad.

"No. It's ok to miss school sometimes. I know what it's like at seventeen. The world suddenly seems very big, it's hard for us to find our place in it."

Sophia didn't know what to say. She loved her mom, but it was strange to hear her talk like this. It had been a long time since they'd had any deep or meaningful conversation.

"Just know that there is nothing you can't tell me, ok?"

"Ok mom. Thank you. And I'm sorry for not going."

"Well you're forgiven!" Her mom winked, "so what did you do at the park all day?"

"It wasn't all day! I went to my morning classes. Just not the afternoon ones."

"Ok, so what did you do at the park all afternoon?"

"I sat and listened to music and relaxed. And..."

An arched eyebrow. "And...?"

"And I spoke to a friend."

"Ah. A boy is it?"

"Mom! No."

"So it was a she?"

"No. Well...no. It was a boy. But not like that."

"I see. A boy whose like, not a boy."

"You're teasing me."

"Of course! It's my job and my privilege as a mother. So, who is he?"

"Noah."

"Noah. Why have I never heard about this Noah before?"

"I only just met him. Nothing happened."

And will he be taking you to any more parks?"

"No. I don't know." Despite her best efforts, Sophia felt her mom could see the hope written all over her face.