Embarrassed, I walked back into the hospital. I didn't have any money on me. I didn't even have my phone.
For a moment, I thought about asking Dr. Macy if I could borrow enough for the bus fare so I could go back…
But then it hit me.
I didn't have a place to go back to.
The thought filled me with a sadness I couldn't swallow.
"Star."
I turned at the sound of her voice. Dr. Macy stood down the hall, relief flickering across her face. "I thought you left. Where's your husband?"
"Um…" I didn't know what to say.
Her eyes dropped to my knees. I followed her gaze and noticed the blood seeping down my legs from where I'd fallen in the parking lot.
"I fell," I said quickly, but her silence made me keep talking. "We had an argument, and he drove away in anger. I fell down." My words sounded hollow even to me.
She didn't say anything, just took my hand and led me toward a small office. She found a bottle of antiseptic and a roll of gauze. When she dabbed at the scrape, the sting made me wince.
"Do you need a ride home?" she asked.
"I was thinking… maybe I could sleep here tonight. You did say I'd need bed rest."
She sighed, but it was different from the sighs I was used to — not angry or tired, just worried. "Of course. I have a C-section scheduled, so I'll be gone a while. I'll ask the nurses to find you an available bed in the meantime. If you want to stay longer, I'll have to admit you. That's alright, isn't it?"
"Thank you, Dr. Macy. I only need a place for tonight."
"I'm happy to help." She paused at the doorway. "By the way, that man is still looking for you. He's wearing a brown suit, waiting in the lobby."
"Oh, I'll go look for him now," I said. "By the way, thank you again, Dr. Macy."
She smiled at me before hurrying off.
"I don't know what I'd do without you," I called after her, my voice low. "Everything's such a mess right now."
I walked slowly toward the waiting area, scanning the room for a man in a brown suit. The light from the hallway spilled across the tiles, and the faint smell of disinfectant and coffee clung to the air.
"Star Calloway?" a voice called.
I turned toward the sound. I had not heard anyone call me by my maiden name in years, and the sound of it caught me off guard.
The man who stood a few steps away was older, a little short, with neatly combed gray hair and a calm expression. There was something about him that tugged at my memory, but I couldn't quite place it.
"Are you the man who saved me?" I asked softly, my words hesitant.
"Save is such a stretch," he said with a polite smile. "All I did was call an ambulance."
"No, you did save me," I said. "You saved me and my baby. Thank you very much."
"Of course, Star. It is the least I owe you."
I frowned, confused. "Do I know you?" I asked.
He gave a small laugh that reached his eyes. "I feel a bit sad that you forgot about me. Then again, you have not really kept in touch since you turned eighteen."
Recognition struck me like a sharp memory returning all at once. "Mr. Walter," I said quietly, remembering the lawyer who had handled my parents' estate and told me about the inheritance they had left me.
"I am glad I was the one who happened to be there," he said. "I knew your parents would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you. I was a bit disappointed when you stopped keeping in touch and when you stopped letting me manage your assets."
A wave of guilt and embarrassment washed over me. Adrian had insisted that I stop working with Mr. Walter. He had said the man could not be trusted, that as my husband he should be the one managing my money because I should trust him completely. I went along with what he said, because I guess that's what I always did.
"I am really sorry about that, Mr. Walter," I said quietly.
"It is alright, Star," he said. His voice was warm, and his eyes softened. "I can see you are expecting. Your parents would have been so proud to see this. Congratulations."
"Thank you," I said, my throat tightening. Thinking of my parents made my heart ache. "Really, thank you."
"I will still keep an eye out for you," he said with a faint smile. "We have a lot to discuss, but that can wait until after you deliver. By the way, Star, are you going through a hard time recently?"
The question startled me. For a moment, I could not answer. A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it.
"Aren't we all?" I said softly.
He looked at me for a long moment, the sympathy in his eyes both comforting and unbearable. The hum of the waiting room filled the silence between us.
"I did not mean to eavesdrop," he said gently, "but I was taking a walk and I overheard you speaking with the doctor. I heard you say you do not have a place to stay."
"I could never impose on you, Mr. Walter," I said quickly. "I wouldn't feel comfortable with that."
"I understand," he replied with a small nod. "But it is not my house, or anything like that. It is a hotel."
"Mr. Walter," I said, cutting him off, unsure of where he was going with this.
He laughed then, a deep, rich sound that warmed the cold air between us.
"Your parents invested in a hotel years ago," he said. "They never asked for a share or any kind of profit. They only asked to be remembered as benefactors. The owner still honors that promise. They would say it is an honor to serve a Calloway. I know you changed your name, but you will always be a Calloway, and so will your child. The hotel has been wanting to repay the favor for a long time. Will you let them do this for you, Star?"
"I am not sure," I said quietly. "I have a lot to deal with. I do not know if staying away from home for a long time is a good idea."
"What if you looked at it differently?" he said, his voice calm and kind. "You would not be running away. You would be giving yourself and your baby time to recover. If home is a place that brings you stress, why would you go back there? You have an obligation to put yourself and your child first. When you are stronger, you can always return."
I wanted to argue, but he was right. The thought of going back to that house, to Lena and Adrian, made my stomach twist. I could already imagine them together again, whispering in the dark, laughing where I used to stand. The thought made me sick.
"Okay," I said finally. "But only for a night. I really cannot stay away from home for too long."
"You can stay a night, and if you feel you are recovering, you can stay another day until you feel better," he said.
"I suppose that is not a bad deal," I murmured. A dizzy spell washed over me, and I had to steady myself on the chair. "Dr. Macy said the nurses would find me a bed. She's in surgery now, though."
"How about we leave a message with the nurses and tell them you no longer need a bed," he suggested. "I will write down the address and the hotel phone number so she can call you if she worries."
"Thank you again, Mr. Walter."
He smiled kindly. "I am just glad I was there when you needed help."
As I stood, another wave of exhaustion passed through me. My hand went to my stomach instinctively.
Baby, I really shouldn't be selfish. I should focus on getting you here safely.
The world you will meet when you're here does scare me a little, though.
I sighed, thinking about how the day had gone. Lena's confession. Adrian storming off only minutes ago. It all felt like pieces of a nightmare that I still hadn't woken from.
No, baby, it scares me a lot.