Once I made it back home, I stared emptily at the steering wheel with my stomach in knots. All I could do was … imagine what these plans were that João had told me about earlier. I must’ve made six circles around the block, so lost in thought and panic and worry that I’d forgotten that I wanted to go home to relax.
“Get your ass in the house, Imani,” Mom shouted from the front door, tired eyes narrowed at me.
From the look on her face, it seemed like she’d had a hard shift at the hospital. And when she had days like that, she came home and asked me a million and one questions to get her mind off it. It was sweet of her, but … all I wanted to do was get some much-needed sleep.
“It’s freezing out here.” She shuffled out of the house and crossed her arms, a silky red scarf wrapped around h
