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seat,” I say quickly. “It’s in my car...”
    “I’ve got one,” says the officer, smiling again. “You can buckle him in the backseat.”
    I blink several times as my mind wraps itself around this statement. Matthew has thought far enough ahead to make safety arrangements for Tyler’s transportation. The thought frigh tens me a little; how long has he believed this scenario would see realization?
    With Tyler safe in the backseat and myself up front with the officer, whose name I believe might be James P. Healy if the badge on his dashboard is any indication , I begin to relax for the first time in what seems like hours. We back down the driveway and leave the neighborhood as casually as I would if I was headed to the grocery store. I find myself looking around, wondering if I’ll ever see any of this again and whether I even want to see any of this again. Immediately, I’m chiding myself. This may not be my dream life, but it’s the one I’ve chosen, and it wasn’t until I realized Matthew was back in my life that I started feeling differently about it. I don’t know how long this ordeal is going to last, but once it’s over, I will be returning here and getting back to normal.
    Vaguely, I hear Officer Healy ove r the radio talking in police code that makes no sense to me. It’s not until I hear a familiar voice talking back that my interest is piqued. “10-4, Patrol,” says Leo’s crackling voice over the radio. “Please proceed as instructed. ETA?”
    “Fifteen to twenty,” Healy responds.
    “Acknowledged.” Leo pauses. “See you soon, Sam.”
    The line goes dead and I watch as Healy switches radio channels. He glances over at my dumbstruck expression and chuckles. “Leo’s father is an old friend of mine,” he says by way of explanation. “He contacted me a couple days ago asking me to stand-by, just in case. Luckily he caught me tonight as I got off duty.”
    “Oh,” I say weakly, sitting back in my chair and looking out the window. “Where are we going?”
    “The Double Tree on Dodge Street,” is the response. “I don’t have details, but I will say this: whatever the trouble is, you’re in the best care with Leo and Young. They’re good kids.”
    I make a noise of acknowledgement, uncertain whether I’m comfortable knowing the police officer who was strictly instructed to not approach the suspect outside my house also has no idea what’s going on. Before I know it, we’re pulling into the driveway of the Double Tree Hotel and I can make out the faint outline of somebody leaning against a wall outside the front door with a cigarette hanging from their fingers. Officer Healy pulls up to the curb and I watch as Leo stubs out the cigarette and walks around the car to my side, opening my door. He’s smiling widely at me as he helps me out, and I try to return the smile, but fail miserably. Tyler is still, surprisingly, asleep when I get him out of his chair. Leo’s wide eyes are locked on my son; I know he’s thinking about just how much he looks like Matthew.
    “I’ll get your bags,” he says quietly. Before we head inside, Leo turns towards the police car and waves. “Thanks again, Jim!”
    Officer Healy gives him a slight salute, then pulls out of the driveway.
    “Are you okay?” Leo asks once we’re in the elevator.
    I’m rubbing circles on my son’s back, mostly to comfort myself, but glance out the corner of my eye at Leo. “I will be,” I say with a sigh. “Does he plan on giving me answers?”
    Leo doesn’t have to ask which he I’m referring to. “I think so,” he responds. “He’s pretty upset right now, though, understandably so, and I think a couple people are going to be out on their asses by dawn.”
    Once on the topmost floor of the hotel, we turn right and walk down the hallway to the very end. Leo removes a key card from his back pocket and uses it to unlock the door, holding it open and ushering me inside. Despite it being after midnight, the