Page 43 of Double Exposure

“I guess I should have called,” he says, peeking inside.

I step back and let him in.

“You must be Ms. Choi,” he says setting down the paper bag and the travel cups. He gives her a hug. “I’m Carter Weston, nice to meet you.”

“This,” I say after I manage to find my voice, if only to repeat information, “is Carter Weston. He’s part of the search and rescue team that found dad.”

I’m horrified as Mom starts to knit the space between Carter and I with her index finger, waving it between the two of us.

“You were the one in the cabin in the storm?”

“Ah, correct,” says Carter. Then he smiles. “Your daughter is amazing,” he says. “And your husband? He’s established himself as a legend at the hospital.”

My mother silently grabs Carter in a hug—not a quick one either. She sort of hangs on to him and when she pulls away, she needs a tissue again. I hand her one.

“Excuse me. I’m sorry.”

“No need to be,” he says. “There’re actually three croissants in there, so please, help yourself. I was going to run Jade to the hospital at eight-thirty.” Carter glances to me and I nod. “Would you like to come?”

“I can get an Uber—”

“Mom, just come with us.”

“What if he needs surgery?”

“I’ll stay with him,” I say.

“I will stay with him too,” she says.

I feel as though she's muscling in on something. I found my father—I will take care of him.

My mom looks at me and smiles. “We can both dote on him. He’ll hate it.”

I smile.