“No. That’s your phone.”
“I thought I left it downstairs.”
“You did. I brought it up because it went off twice.”
Is it my friends wanting to hang out? Or go shopping for baby things? I can’t spend much, but I can certainly offer opinions. “Who is it?”
“Dunno. It’s displaying in Korean. I think.”
“How many characters?” I ask, my eyes still closed.
“Two.”
I frown. It’s not Eugene. Dad has no reason to call me. But… I stick my hand out. “Gimme that. Please.”
He places it on my hand. I squint at the screen.
Mom.
My eyes pop open as my heart plunges into my suddenly chilled gut. There’s also a text.
–Mom: Where are you? Tony said you were in the city, but I can’t find you in your usual spots. And why aren’t you answering my calls?
Holy shit. I jump out of bed, wincing as my muscles protest. Ow, ow, ow! But I have no time to indulge them.
Gah! I should’ve known Mom would come to L.A.! Just as I consider Ivy my soul sister, my mother considers Ivy her daughter. Mom probably got on a flight the second Tony told her about the twins!
I look for my clothes. Where did Declan throw my underwear? And my dress? I thought he tossed them together… Argh!
Another text arrives.
–Mom: Tony says you should be at home. His and Ivy’s home, that is. But you aren’t there, either. Ms. Lim told me so.
Ah, shit. Ms. Lim is Mom’s assistant. And there’s no way I’m going to fudge my way out of this, because Ms. Lim is more thorough than government auditors combing through your tax returns for the penny you forgot to report.
“Are you okay?” Declan is staring.
“Yes. I think. I don’t know. It’s my mom.”
“Oh. Is that…good?”
“We’ll see.” I give him a smile, which doesn’t seem to reassure him. “I gotta talk to her before she puts together a team to look for me.”
I call Mom. Breathe, Yuna. Breathe! Say nothing; don’t confirm or deny anything. Act normal. The second she answers, I put all the brightness I can muster into my voice. “Mom!”
“Yuna! Where are you? I thought you would be at the hospital with Ivy. It’s bad form not to keep her company at a time like this. She’s your sister.”
My esteem for Ms. Lim drops a notch, since she obviously didn’t realize I was there half the day yesterday. And now I have to explain everything and hope Mom doesn’t notice that I’m not where I’m supposed to be.
“I was there after Ivy’s water broke and stayed until the twins were born. So the new parents and twins can have some quality time and relax and recover.” I look for my shoes… Ah-ha! Under the bed. I go on my knees, having to stretch and reach way under for one, and drag them out.
Declan has a grin on his face, and it takes me a moment before I realize that I must have just given him a heck of a show. Men.
“Yes, but you should be here again!” Mom says. “What if Ivy needs you?”
“She would’ve called me…?” Mom’s acting like Ivy can’t even breathe without me there to help. “Or Tony would have.”
Declan offers me my bra. I mouth, Thank you. It’s a little hard to hold the phone and put it on, so he kneels behind me on the bed and holds it as I slip each arm through, transferring the phone from one hand to the other as I do so. He fits the bra under my boobs, cops an extended feel, then hooks it for me. I can’t decide whether he’s really being helpful or just taking advantage of the situation.