The name flashed on the dashboard screen visible from the rear seats.
William hesitated. He glanced at Mia. She was still looking out the window, but he saw her posture stiffen.
He leaned forward and pressed the accept button on the center console control panel.
"William!" Lucinda's voice flooded the cabin, amplified by the surround sound. She was sobbing. "Oh god, William, I heard about Arthur! It's terrible!"
"Calm down, Lu," William said, his voice instantly shifting. It became soft. Protective. The voice he never used with Mia.
"I'm at the hospital already," Lucinda cried. "Eleanor is falling apart. It's so scary here. I need you."
"I'm five minutes away," William soothed. "Just stay in the waiting room. Don't worry."
"Gavin isn't picking up," she wept. "I feel so alone. You're the only one I can count on, William. Please hurry."
Mia turned her head. She looked at the dashboard screen, then at William.
Her husband. Comforting his ex-lover. On speakerphone. While his wife sat next to him.
"Deep breaths, Lu. I'm almost there," William said.
He ended the call. The silence rushed back in, heavier than before.
William shifted in his seat. He felt... uncomfortable. He glanced at Mia.
She was looking at him. Her face was completely devoid of expression. It was chilling.
"She's just scared," William said. He didn't know why he was explaining.
"You don't need to explain," Mia said. Her voice was light, airy. "Your priorities have always been very clear."
"It's not about priorities. She's fragile," William defended, gripping the leather armrest tightly. "She's practically family."
"Yes," Mia said. "Fragile enough to call another woman's husband and cry about how much she needs him."
"You're being paranoid."
"And you're being a doormat," Mia said. "But that's none of my business anymore."
The car pulled up to the Mount Sinai emergency entrance.
Before the driver could come around, Mia opened her own door. She stepped out into the humid air. She didn't wait for him. She walked toward the sliding glass doors, her heels clicking a sharp rhythm on the pavement, leaving him alone in the car with the fading echo of Lucinda's voice.
---
