Chapter 1

Midnight. My buddies had asked me out for a late-night meal.

I was heading for the door when my wife, ten months along, suddenly clutched her belly and begged me.

"Honey, my water broke. Can you drive me to the hospital?"

I took out my phone and pulled up my payment code.

"Gas money. Two hundred."

Her face crumpled.

"You know I… I don't have any money."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Then take out a payday loan."

Her eyes went red.

"Last checkup I already borrowed on a payday loan. I couldn't pay it back, my credit's blacklisted now. I can't borrow anymore."

"I'll owe you the money. Please, just take me to the hospital first."

I shook my head.

"No money, no ride."

And with that, I walked out of the apartment without looking back.

1

Half an hour later I got to the diner where I'd agreed to meet Godfrey Perry.

Inside, Godfrey was already drinking with our other buddy, Arnold James.

Godfrey looked a little surprised when he saw me.

"Well, look who actually showed."

"Arnold and I were just betting you wouldn't come. Monica's basically at her due date. Figured you'd have to be by her side around the clock."

I sat down, smiling.

"Nothing gets in the way of a meal with my boys."

Arnold poured me a glass of ice-cold beer without thinking.

"You out this late, and Monica didn't say anything?"

I drained it in one go. A cold, clean rush spread through my chest.

"She did. Told me to take her to the hospital first."

Godfrey and Arnold both froze.

"The hospital?"

"What's wrong?"

I picked up a peanut, chewing as I said it, casual as anything.

"Nothing much. Her water broke."

Godfrey's chopsticks stopped. He thought he'd misheard.

"Say that again?"

"Whose water broke?"

"Monica's."

Arnold's eyes went wide. He stared at me like he couldn't believe it.

"Irvin Dickerson, are you out of your mind?"

"Your wife's water broke and you're not taking her to the hospital, you're out here having a late-night meal with us?!"

I picked up a second peanut.

"Like I said, she gives me the gas money, I drive her. She's got no money, what am I supposed to do about that."

Godfrey's eyes nearly fell out of his head.

"You'd charge your own wife gas money to drive her to have your baby?"

I nodded, dead serious.

"The car burns fuel."

"Two hundred's nothing, and I'm still taking the risk she gets the seat dirty. That's plenty generous of me."

Arnold frowned and glanced at my car.

"Your wife's about to give birth and you're worried about your car?"

"Get back there right now and take her to the hospital."

Godfrey pressed me too, anxious now.

"Yeah, giving birth is no small thing. Hemorrhage, cord prolapse, any one of them can kill her. Do not pick tonight to lose your mind."

I gave a faint smile.

"I'm perfectly clear-headed."

Godfrey and Arnold traded a look. Seeing not a trace of urgency in me, Godfrey couldn't make sense of it.

"Irvin, I've been meaning to ask. Are you and Monica fighting about something?"

I shook my head. "No."

He frowned.

"Then why are you treating her like this?"

"She's the woman you chased for eight years before you finally married her."

"You used to dote on her so much. She'd cough once and you'd want to stay by her side twenty-four hours a day."

"Now her water's broken and you just walk out? Is that any way to act?"

The hand holding my chopsticks paused for a moment.

Something in my chest went tight.

I said nothing. I quietly poured myself another glass, downed it in one, and forced down the ache rising in me.

When I didn't answer, Arnold spoke up too, curious.

"Irvin, the three of us grew up together. Godfrey and I saw exactly how much you loved Monica Henson."

"When you two got married, you cried so hard you were a mess, swearing you'd love her right."

"How, two years in, did you turn into this?"

Arnold paused, then ventured a guess.

"Don't tell me… Monica did something behind your back, something that wronged you?"

I shook my head, and said it plainly.

"No."

"She's always been good to me."