“Hope has the most important thing. A mother who loves her. She’s happy.” It was the only thing Kay cared about, giving her baby girl a happy childhood. Hope would never have a reason to question if she was loved or if she was a disappointment to her mom.

Kay brushed her hair back from her face and stood. She had a decision to make. Go back to her parents’ house and pick up the diapers or go to the store and buy more. Her parents were closer and she wouldn’t have to stand in line.

But at the store you won’t get a lecture, she thought.

Quickly, Kay retrieved the spare diaper she always kept tucked in the inner pocket of her handbag. It had seemed like overkill to place an extra one there, but she was glad she’d done it now. A few minutes later, she had the baby cleaned up and redressed.

Hope squirmed under her hand, desperate to escape the changing table and get down to the floor to play.

“Okay, little miss. I guess we need to run to the store. Let’s go!”

*   *   *   *   *

ELI PUT HIS beer down on the table next to the window. His mom stood next to him, looking out at the worsening storm. Every so often, she’d glance down at the watch on her wrist and then go back to frowning at the glass.

“What’s wrong, Mom? Are we expecting someone else?” Eli looked out the window, but he couldn’t see much beyond the flurry of snowflakes and the crystalline patterns the ice formed on the pane.

“I overheard Matt talking about Kaylee. He said she had to go back out, but then she never called to let him know she got back home safely.”

Eli waved Matt over. When Matt joined them he asked “Did Kay call yet?”

Matt shook his head slowly. “Not yet. She’s still not at home according to this, but she’s not answering her phone.” He showed Eli the blip moving on his cell phone screen. “She shouldn’t be out in this storm. I don’t know what the hell she’s doing. It shouldn’t have taken her this long to run to the store.” He spoke lightly, but there was a thread of worry underneath.

Matt had been guarding Kay for months, and they’d become friends. He knew her usual habits, where she went and when. If he was worried, then there was reason to be.

Eli pulled up the GPS application on his own phone. It was useful at times to keep tabs on lower-risk clients, although technically he should have taken Kay’s tracking ID out of his system since he wasn’t guarding her anymore. He pulled up her identification number. A second later, there was a small red blip on his screen. She was definitely not home.

“Maybe she stopped somewhere else?”

“But then why wouldn’t she answer her phone? What if something happened?” Julia twisted her hands, the fine bones showing prominently beneath the skin. “I hate the thought of her and that sweet baby out there in the cold somewhere.”

His mom considered everyone in their town extended family, but she’d taken an immediate liking to Kaylee and her little girl.

By now the rest of the family had gathered closer. Everyone seemed to pick up on Julia’s agitation. Raina hugged her daughter closer, rubbing the baby’s back to calm her whimpers.

“I’m not getting a good feeling about this. She’s usually really good about checking in and letting me know where she’s going.” Matt glanced down at his phone again. “I don’t want to call her parents and alarm them, but this storm is getting worse by the hour.”

A second later, the room was plunged into darkness. Julia let out a small gasp and grabbed Eli’s arm.

“What was that?” someone whispered.

Eli’s heart slowed slightly. “The power’s gone out. Just hold on, everyone, the generators will kick in any minute now.”

As if on cue, the lights came back on and there was a gentle hum as all the electronics in the room powered back on and reset themselves. His parents had done an extensive upgrade, which included generators, to the main house years ago, but he doubted if Kaylee’s apartment building was similarly equipped. Even if she got home safely from the storm, she’d be stuck in the dark with the baby. In the cold.

Alone.

“I have to go.” He disentangled himself from his mother’s arm and grabbed his coat from the hall closet. After zipping it up all the way, he grabbed insulated gloves and pulled on a knit cap to cover his recently shaved head. There were several thick blankets on the top shelf of the closet, so he grabbed those, too. Just in case.

“Where are you going?” His mother appeared at his elbow, her brown eyes filled with worry. Everyone else crowded behind her.

“Are you going out in the storm? It’s coming down pretty hard,” Jackson added.

“You guys are forgetting something.” He pointed at the slightly dimmed lights. “Not everyone has generators the way we do. The rest of the city is under a blackout. Even if Kay’s at home safe, she won’t have any power. And if something has happened and she’s out there alone, it could be a while before anyone else comes along.”

Julia pulled him into a quick hug. “Be careful out there.” She tugged the ends of the hat down over his ears. He smiled at the familiar gesture. She’d done the same thing when sending him out to school in the winter as a kid.

“You know I will be.” He hated to leave her looking so worried. “Don’t worry. I put chains on my tires this morning. I’ll be fine.” He kissed her on the brow and pulled the front door open.