We get there, and now I’m about to crawl out of my skin when I grab the hockey bag from the truck and walk toward her apartment. We walk up the stairs, and Dylan goes on and on, but I’m not even focusing on him. I’m focusing on the fact that I need to make sure Caroline is okay. When we get to the door and Dylan turns the knob, it’s locked. I’m both happy and then worried. What if she got hurt somewhere and her phone is broken? The what-ifs are playing over in my head, so I don’t even hear Dylan knock on the door nor do I hear the door unlock and open, but I do see her face, and I step back. “Mom,” Dylan says, and she switches right away before my eyes.

“Hey, sweetheart,” she says, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing his head. “How was your day?”

“Good. Justin had a one-on-one with Ralph, and he won,” he says to her, “and then I played basketball, and I scored a three-pointer.”

She smiles down at him, and he doesn’t see the redness in her eyes or on the tip of her nose. “Did you score all the points one after another?”

“No, Mom,” he says, going to the fridge and opening it, his eyes going wide. “The fridge is full.” And it’s at that moment my heart sinks for her. This woman who puts on the bravest face is now having all of it in front of me. “Can I have a Yop?” he asks, wanting a yogurt drink.

“Yes,” she says and then looks at me. “Was everything okay?”

“Yes.” I want to take her in my arms and kiss her softly and hold her and be her rock. I’m about to bring up the fact that her phone was off and that I tried to call her when the front door suddenly opens, and I turn to see who it is. I don’t have to guess for long when I hear Dylan yell.

“Dad!” he says, running to this guy standing there with dirty clothes and stringy hair. His arms are bare and skinny, and you can see the scabs on the inside creases of his arms.

Dylan wraps his arms around his waist, but the guy doesn’t even notice because his gaze is fixated on me. I’m watching him, but more importantly, I feel Caroline stiffen beside me.

“Who is this?” the man finally asks. It’s almost as if he’s accusing us of something. I want to step in front of Caroline, but before I can do that, she speaks up.