Tom-Tom poked her head in the room, groggily clocked the paramedics, & went back to sleep. Rikki borrowed Dr Phil’s old VW & followed the ambulance down. The winds were furious. The city below was bright & its landmarks brilliantly identifiable, like a city in a dream. He felt like he was slaloming down an xmas tree. 3AM. They admitted her right away. Who should he call? Rikki didn’t ask Reeyonna because he knew she wouldn’t want him to call anyone. He didn’t want to wake his parents either, no need, so he waited til 730. They were there by 9. The 3 of them—Dawn, Jim & Ree’s mom—had cellphone-strategized the best way for Jacquie to make her entrance but in the end she just strode in a minute or so after the fosters. When Reeyonna at 1st saw her, her features broke lose from their tenuous corral and spasmscattered, roving mountainscapes parched & dead. Mother Jacquie imperturbably rounded them up. At bedside, thankfully, mercifully, unpredictably, the child in Jerilynn, in Reeyonna (still so much child in her!), couldn’t bear it any longer & held out its arms.
