Hey, Mommy! Paige said. She was the sort of kid that had not yet understood that you dont have to hold the phone right in front of your face, one inch from your nose to be seen on the other end. Most of what Rachel saw was her daughters mouth and nostrils. But her blue eyes peeked in from the side every now and then.

Hey, sweetie! How are you?

Im good. Daddy said it was okay to call. Hes working late again, so Beckas still here.

I know, Rachel said. Im so sorry neither one of us is there.

Its okay. Me and Becka are gonna have a dance party after the call.

Not for too long, I hope, Rachel said. She said it loudly, taking a dig at their usual sitter, Becka. She heard Becka chuckle in the background.

I had a question about my birthday party, Paige said.

But your birthday party isnt for another two months!

I know. But Becka said her little sister had this thing at her party and I thought it sounded cool. So, I was wondering if we could get a kroaky machine.

A what?

A kroaky machine. You sing into it, and it has songs already on it.

Oh. Karaoke.

Yeah, that.

Rachel had to wait a moment before she could respond. Paige would turn eight in two months. Where the hell had all the time gone? Knowing it would likely be the last birthday she would be able to celebrate with her daughter stung so deep it felt like someone had stabbed her in the heart with a blade of ice.

She wondered if the mention of any event from here on out was going to wreck her in a similar way. Every time a birthday or anniversary or trip that was more than a few months out…was she going to feel that her heart was shrinking at every single mention?

Whatever you want, sweetie, Rachel said. And oh God, how she meant it.

Thanks, Mommy. Hey, how long are you gonna be away?

Im not sure. Its looking like at least two days or so. If its more, Ill let you know.

Okay. I love you! Im gonna go dance now.

Okay. I love you t

But Paige had already ended the call, lured by the promise of a two-person dance party. Rachel held the phone a bit longer, looking at the black screen and the words Call Ended. She wanted to throw the phone across the room. She wanted to scream. She wanted to call back to Richmond and tell Director Anderson that she needed to quit her job and get the hell back home to her daughter as quickly as she could.