His jaw tightened.
“I’m finished having this conversation.”
“So am I.”
I turned toward the door.
And that was when the floor moved again.
For illustrative purposes only
Part 3 — The Stranger Who Caught Me
I managed two steps.
Then my knees weakened.
Benny was still in my arms, so I instinctively twisted my body to protect him.
Before I hit the floor, someone caught my elbow.
“Careful.”
A man’s voice.
Strong hands steadied me.
“Are you all right?”
The man holding my arm looked to be somewhere in his sixties. He wore a dark coat and had the calm manner of someone used to taking control without needing to raise his voice.
“I’m fine.”
The words came automatically.
I almost believed them.
Then I thought of all the months I had spent insisting I was fine when I wasn’t.
For once, I stopped pretending.
“No,” I admitted. “I’m actually rather dizzy. I skipped lunch.”
