I dropped to my knees. I’d never lost the ability to stand up before, but it’s actually a thing. Your legs give way like thin table legs that snap and down you go.

Pappou picked me up and sat me on his armchair. I crawled into a ball and stayed like that.

I was sure that if something happened to her, I’d know.

How did I not feel it?

I couldn’t tell Pappou about the necklace now, not when we had an Eleni emergency to deal with. He phoned my parents and they left the restaurant immediately. Pappou sat beside me, rubbing my back, but I didn’t move—I just lay there, stiff and tense. It took a thousand hundred years for my parents’ car to pull up in the driveway.

Dad rushed in, picked me up, and held me tight in his big bear arms. I only started crying then. He stroked my head and said in my ear, “I’ll take you to her right now, OK?” He turned to Pappou. “Is she at Croydon U?” Croydon University Hospital was where Eleni and I were born. It has a cardiology unit where Eleni had her operations, and I was placed inside her crib. Pappou nodded, so Dad said, “Let’s go.”

Mom was standing in the hallway like a ghost.

“My glasses, Evangelina,” Pappou said in Greek. “My glasses. I don’t know where they are.”

Mom woke up then and went searching as Dad opened the front door.

“Dad,” I breathed in his ear. “What if she’s—”

“Don’t even think it,” Dad replied. “She’s going to make it. I’ll drive you guys there and go home for Kat and Nicos.”

Mom found the glasses in the kitchen and held them out to Pappou, who was putting on his coat. He looked old and shaky and not ready for another tragedy, not that anyone ever is. Dad put me down, held my coat out so I could put my arms inside, and led me by the hand to the car. All the noises seemed so loud. The gravel under our feet. The front door closing. The car being unlocked by the remote control. The doors slamming shut. The engine revving.

We drove to the hospital, and all the way, nobody said a single word.

The lights in the lobby were bright, and the hospital smelled serious and medical. It was busy in there. Most of the chairs were full. Nurses strode past. A woman with gray hair limped by on crutches, and a man sat near us with a bandage around his head. Mom’s red dress was too fancy for the hospital, and Pappou’s hands were shaking.

We hurried past the reception desk to the cardiology department. When we reached the heart center, Dad took my hand and asked a nurse where Eleni was. She told us the room number, and we were hurrying toward it when we saw Kallie and Elias sitting in the corridor outside the room. They stood up when they saw us, their eyes shiny with shock.

“Guys,” Dad said warmly. “How is she?”

“We don’t know yet,” Elias replied in a husky voice. “Hi, Pappou.” He gave Pappou a hug and so did Kallie. It was awkward for a second, because no one knew what to do. But then Dad let go of my hand, stepped toward Elias, stretched his arms out, and enveloped him. “Fffffffffffff,” he said mid hug. “Missed you guys so much. So much.”

“Us too,” Elias murmured.

Mom smiled weakly at Kallie, gave her a stiff, clumsy hug and said, “Where’s your mom?”

“In there.” Kallie pointed to the door. “With Dad. Eleni…she collapsed in the kitchen. We don’t know if… We don’t know anything yet. Except…we know it’s bad. Are Kat and Nicos here?” she asked looking down the corridor.

“Not yet. I’m going to get them,” Dad said. “In fact, can you call them, Kal? Tell them to get a cab? I’ll pay when it gets here.”

“Sure. Elias, come out with me. There’s no reception in here.” Elias nodded and followed Kallie down the corridor.

I sat on a chair and Pappou sat next to me. On the wall, there were paintings done by local children called Amar and Nadine. Above them were bright strip lights and signs directing people to other wards. Shiny squeaky green floors were below the paintings. And behind the door of Room 8, Eleni lay in a bed strapped to machines. Maybe dying. Maybe even—

The door opened and Uncle C came out. When he saw my dad, they didn’t say a word. They just walked toward each other, wrapped their arms around each other, and stayed there for ages. When they let go, Uncle C’s eyes were red and wet. And I thought, That’s it. We’re too late.

“She’s hanging on in there,” Uncle Christos said, wiping his eyes with the palm of his hand. “Just about. Doctors are doing more tests.” He turned to me and said, “After she collapsed, when she was still with it, she asked for you, Lexie-mou.”

My insides squeezed together but I couldn’t speak.

I wasn’t there for her.

She’d collapsed and asked for me and I hadn’t even heard her whale song.

Uncle C put his arms around my mom and said, “Soph’ll be happy you came, Ange.”

I heard Mom whisper, “Course. She’s my sister.”