Erased From the Birth Certificate

Maria blinked up at him, her voice all syrup.

"Are you here for a checkup?"

Eric didn't push her off. He stepped forward instead, reproach all over his tone.

"Didn't I tell you I'd come with you tomorrow?"

"You're this far along, and you go wandering off alone?"

"What if you'd tripped, knocked into something?"

Then he looked at how pale I was, and something finally registered as off.

"Why do you look so awful? What did the doctor say?"

I looked at the righteous concern on his face and found it almost funny.

I'd been admitted three days giving birth, and he'd spent them throwing a coworker a birthday party and babysitting her hurt foot.

Now we ran into each other in a hospital, and his first instinct wasn't to ask why I was in a patient's gown. It was to scold me for being disobedient, for running around.

"I'm fine."

I pulled my eyes back, my voice flat.

"Go do whatever you need to do."

I turned and kept walking toward the payment window.

Clearly Eric wasn't used to me being this cold.

He let go of Maria, strode over, and grabbed my arm.

"Mila, what's with the attitude?"

"Maria twisted her ankle on the stairs at the office. I'm her supervisor. What's wrong with bringing her in to get it looked at?"

"Can you stop assuming the worst about everyone?"

Behind him, Maria hopped twice on one foot and hissed through the pain.

"Eric, don't be hard on her."

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have troubled you."

"She's just misunderstood, that's all. I'll go right now."

She started to hop toward the door on one leg, swayed, and nearly went down.

Eric let go of my arm at once, turned, and crossed over in a few long strides to catch her.

"Your foot's swollen like that and you're still trying to be tough?"

He steadied her, then turned his head to me, his eyes full of disappointment.

"Mila, you never used to be this unreasonable."

"Maria's just a girl fresh out of school. What are you fighting with her for?"

I looked down at my own empty arm.

Where he'd gripped it, there was a faint red mark.

There was a time I'd only have to nick my finger chopping vegetables and he'd be scrambling for a bandage.

Now I'd just come back from the edge of death, and he thought I was throwing a tantrum.

My mother came from the elevators with a few slips of paper in her hand.

When she saw Eric and Maria wrapped around each other, she was shaking with rage.

"Eric, what are you doing here?"

She rushed over and pulled me behind her.

Eric froze for a second and let go on reflex.

"Mom, why are you here too?"

"Maria twisted her ankle. I brought her in to get it checked."

He explained it like it was the most natural thing in the world.

My mother was so angry she raised her hand, but I caught it.

"Mom, let's go pay."

I didn't want to fight with him in the hospital lobby.

There was no point.

Just then, the elevator doors opened a little way off.

A nurse came out fast with a stack of papers and called across the lobby.

"Mila Fox's family! Is Mila Fox's family here?"

"The resuscitation bill from the NICU is ready. Please go to the window and settle it right away!"

Eric's body went rigid.

He frowned, turned, and looked at the nurse, confused.

"Mila? The NICU?"