What time is it? I’ve got to get to Mom. My head feels like a book someone’s wedged too tight on the shelf. I can’t get my seat belt off. My hands are shaking too badly. After a thousand years, or maybe a few seconds, I find the buckle and click it. That’s when I see the blue lights flashing in the rearview mirror.

I wait.

And watch the cop grow larger in the mirror.

“Ma’am,” he says, and raps the window with his knuckles. I jump. It’s too loud in my ear, which is resting against the glass. The beam from his flashlight is too bright. There are two halos dancing instead of one. That can’t be normal. He opens the door and I fall out. I’d forgotten about the seat belt.

“Ma’am?” he says again, this time like he’s not sure, because now he sees I’m just a kid. “I’m Officer Ramos, and I’m here to help you. Can you tell me your name? How old you are? Where are your parents?” It’s too many questions, and he’s bent over me like a monster in a nightmare. Any second he’s going to get too close. I can’t make my mouth work. And then I hear her.

“Louise! Louise!”

I squint into the darkness and see Mom running toward me in her waitress uniform. Her hair’s falling out of her ponytail. I cry out in relief.

“Mom. Your c-c-c-coat?” I’m shaking too hard to get it to come out right. The officer tries to give me his jacket, but I back up against the open door of the truck. He doesn’t understand. She’s the one that needs a coat. Not me. My head is pounding. Please don’t let him touch me. He puts a hand out to stop Mom from getting any closer when she reaches us, and then he picks up a walkie-talkie attached to his shoulder. “Dispatch, I need an ambulance to the corner of Grove and Vista Place.” He pauses and looks from me to Mom. “And call CPS. We need someone to meet us at the hospital.”

“What’s going on?” Mom is literally jumping in place. I want to tell her it’s okay. I’m okay. We can still make it out in time. Why won’t my mouth work?

“Ma’am, is this your daughter?”

“What? Yes. Yes, she’s mine.” She darts around him to get closer to me and puts a hand on my face. It’s warm and I lean into it.

“I’m going to have to ask you to step away.” Officer Ramos takes Mom by the shoulder, and she spins to face him like a cat, stiff and mean. Her hand is gone from my face too fast. I miss it.