“You’re okay, Dad,” I say in a wobbly voice that couldn’t possibly be convincing.

“I’m not okay,” he scoffs. “Look at me.” He holds up his arm with the clothespin tracking his blood oxygen. It’s attached to a machine by the wall. “They’re keeping me tied to this bed without food or water.”

I don’t realize I’ve been backing away from the bed until I hit the boundary of the curtain. “He’s confused,” my mom repeats. “The delirium will wear off soon, I hope. We should let him sleep, but I thought it might help—”

“You girls want to keep me here, don’t you?” He points his finger at us, and it’s steadier than usual. “Cham, help me get out of here.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t. You have to stay.”

The flap of his gown slips down his shoulder, where a bruise is growing down his arm. He shakes his head and makes a tsk sound. When he looks at me again, his face is like a stone sculpture of his face, but the features are slightly off.

“You’re a disappointment, Cham,” he says, and turns onto his side, the sheets making a terrible starchy noise, his breath getting heavier. “You are such a disappointing daughter.”

Dear Universe,

My bones come apart like tectonic plates. What was normal shifts and falls. Everything is moving and changing position and getting kicked out of where it was. How do you survive an earthquake? How do you stay steady when everything everywhere is breaking down? And afterward who comes in to sort through the wreckage?

11

Days ’til prom: 50

A SPLATTERING OF TEXTS RECEIVED LAST NIGHT AND OPENED this morning:

7:37 PM

G I hope things are okay

8:02 PM

G I know you said it’s a family thing but you were acting so weird at your house

8:02 PM

G Like you were lying to me about something

9:42 PM

G Do you know when you’ll be back? We should talk in person.

10:09 PM

G I guess you’re not gonna make it back to school tonight?

9:11 PM

A WHERE ARE YOU?

9:37 PM

H Gene’s been wandering around like a lost puppy

11:10 PM

G I’m worried

11:12 PM

G Can you please answer?

11:48 PM

G Guess not.

7:12 AM

Gene I’m sorry I never texted C

7:12 AM

I know I ruined our special night C

7:12 AM

I’ll explain later C

7:17 AM

Ugh Abigail C

7:18 AM

This family stuff is complicated C

7:18 AM

I’ll explain as soon as I can but right now we’re still in the hospital C

9:12 AM

A Just got your texts / talked to Gene

9:12 AM

A He said you kicked him out of your house?

9:12 AM

A Is your family okay?

9:12 AM

G So sad you couldn’t come to Senior Night :(

10:12 AM

G I don’t really wanna talk right now

10:12 AM