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her dad into a gurney, and then refused to let Gaia ride along with her own father.
    It seemed like such a cruel coincidence, but there he was, standing there in his rumpled, off-duty attire: filthy beige corduroys, a stained white oxford shirt, and a tattered black messenger bag over his shoulder. There he was, ordering some beverage with a ten-word description and a Rice Krispie Treat. At 8:00 in the morning. Disgusting.
    Ed suddenly faded off into the periphery of outer space as Gaia followed the man with narrowed eyes. Her blood began to boil as images of her father’s limp frame being strapped to that gurney began to invade her mind. She could still feel this bastard’s pudgy hands holding her back from the ambulance, denying her the most basic right to stay as close to her father as possible, to hold his hand as this whole pathetic course of events began.
    What the hell was he doing at Starbucks? At this Starbucks? Right now? Could it be a simple coincidence? She supposed St. Vincent’s hospital wasn’t that far from here, only seven or eight blocks away. He could just be getting his morning latte before starting his shift—beforestarting another day of being egregiously insensitive to other victims and their freaked-out relatives. Maybe he lived around here?
    But how often did the coincidences in Gaia’s life turn out to be coincidences?
    She could think of two other possibilities, as she watched him lumber over to the milk-and-sugar counter:
    Though she was not particularly religious, this could be a sign from God. A sign that, like most signs from God, was meant to induce guilt. In this case, to slap a lazy-minded daughter in the face and remind her that while she was sitting here making goo-goo eyes at her boyfriend and bitching and moaning about Jake the Jock, her father was still out there somewhere, waiting for her to find him.
    It was no coincidence. He was there for a reason—to check up on Gaia. Somehow, some way, due to a series of circumstances that made absolutely no sense. . . he was one of them.
    But that theory seemed just about as far-fetched as they came. How could St. Vincent’s hospital be involved in her father’s disappearance? Unless the ambulance hadn’t come from St. Vincent’s? But that made no sense either because the ambulance had taken him to St. Vincent’s. So what could it be? How could this disgusting, obnoxious, poorly trained ambulance schlub be part of some massive conspiracy to kidnap Gaia’s fatherand put him out of commission? How could he be a part-time ambulance driver/part-time spy?
    You’re going crazy, that’s how. Why don’t you just head off to Texas and figure out who killed J.F.K. while you’re at it. He’s an EMT guy getting coffee before work, and he’s the last person you wanted to see today. That’s it. He can’t do a damn thing for you.
    He probably came here every morning for coffee. Gaia, of course, would never know, as she avoided the Astor Place Starbucks morning rush like the place was crawling with lepers.
    Just take it as a sign, Gaia. That’s all it is. Just a sign for you to get moving and find your father.
    â€œGaia?” Ed barked, waving his hand in Gaia’s face. “Don’t make me say your name again. And don’t make me say ‘Earth to Gaia.’ You have no idea how tired I am of saying ‘Earth to Gaia.’”
    She glanced back at Ed and caught the surprising amount of sadness and defeat in his eyes. And for a moment, it hit her. Hadn’t she just been in the middle of apologizing for ignoring him? Wasn’t that the little bit of real life that had been happening here before Pock-mark had walked in? What a brilliant way to follow up an apology for ignoring Ed: Ignore him again.
    â€œI’m sorry, Ed. I’m really sorry.”
    Ed shook his head hopelessly. “Gaia, we really need to talk. Big time.”
    â€œI know,