Maybe they were right. Maybe she just made a huge mistake. Maybe tomorrow she'd wake up and regret everything. But she couldn't shake the image of Hawk lying on that pavement, his chest not moving, his face turning gray. If she'd walked away, he'd be dead.
That was the truth. And she didn't know how to regret saving someone's life. By the time she got home, it was nearly 1:00 a.m. Her neighbor, Mrs. Lane, an older woman who watched Maya when Sienna worked late, was asleep on the couch with Maya curled up beside her.
Sienna gently shook Mrs. Lane awake. "I'm home. Thank you so much." Mrs.
Lane nodded groggy and shuffled out. Sienna carefully lifted Maya and carried her to bed. Maya stirred slightly. "Mommy."
"Shh. Go back to sleep, baby."
"I love you, Mommy."
"I love you, too." Sienna tucked the blanket around her daughter and kissed her forehead. Then, she walked back to the kitchen and sat down at the small table. She pulled the business card out of her pocket and stared at it. The crown-with-wings logo glinted under the dim overhead light.
She turned it over. Nothing on the back, just a phone number. Who were these people? She looked at the $1.50 sitting on the table. Tomorrow, Maya would wake up and ask for breakfast, and Sienna would have to tell her they'd have crackers and the last banana, nothing else, because she'd spent her last $8 on a stranger.
She pulled out her journal, a small notebook she kept by the window. Every night, no matter how hard things were, she wrote down three things she was grateful for. It was something her grandmother had taught her. She opened to a blank page and wrote, "One, Maya is healthy. Two, I helped someone tonight.
Three, tomorrow is a new day." She closed the journal and looked at the business card again. She set it on the nightstand beside her bed. Then she lay down, exhausted, and closed her eyes. She had no idea what tomorrow would bring.
She had no idea that across town in a hospital room, Hawk was telling Cole to gather everyone. She had no idea that her name was being spoken in rooms she'd never seen by people she'd never met. She had no idea that her life was about to change in ways she couldn't even imagine. All she knew was that she'd done the right thing. And sometimes that's all you can do, even when it costs you everything.
Sienna's alarm went off at 5:00 a.m. Just like always, she dragged herself out of bed, her body aching from the long day before. She walked into the kitchen and opened the cabinet. One banana, a handful of crackers. That was it.
She split the banana in half, arranged the crackers on a plate, and poured a glass of water. Maya came padding out in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes. "Morning, Mommy. What's for breakfast?"
"A special breakfast today, baby." Sienna forced a smile. "Banana and crackers, your favorite." Maya didn't complain. She never did.
She climbed into her chair and started eating. Sienna didn't make anything for herself. There wasn't enough. She sat across from Maya, watching her eat, trying not to think about how empty the cabinets were. Trying not to think about the $8 she'd spent last night.
Then came a knock at the door. Sienna frowned. It was barely 7:00 a.m. Who would be knocking this early? She opened the door.
Mrs. Johnson stood there. Her neighbor, a black woman in her 60s who'd lived on this street for 30 years. She had her arms crossed and a deep frown on her face. "Sienna, baby," Mrs.
Johnson said, her voice tight. "We need to talk." "Good morning, Mrs. Johnson. Is everything okay?"
Mrs. Johnson stepped closer and lowered her voice. I heard you helped one of those biker thugs last night. One of those Hell's Angels. Sienna's stomach dropped.
How did she know? "He was having a heart attack, Mrs. Johnson. I had to." Child, those Hell's Angels are criminals.
Mrs. Johnson cut her off. Drugs, violence, all kinds of mess. What were you thinking? You got Maya to think about.
"He was a human being who needed help," Sienna said, her voice steady but quiet. That's all I saw. Mrs. Johnson shook her head, disappointment written all over her face. You’re too kind for your own good, Sienna.
That kindness is going to get you hurt one day. Mark my words. She turned and walked back to her apartment, leaving Sienna standing in the doorway. Sienna closed the door slowly and leaned against it. Her hands were shaking.
Had she made a mistake? She looked at Maya, still eating her crackers, completely unaware of the conversation that had just happened. Sienna forced herself to breathe. "Finish up, baby. Time to get ready for school."
At the laundromat, Sienna folded clothes on autopilot. Her mind kept replaying Mrs. Johnson's words. That kindness is going to get you hurt. Linda, her coworker, noticed.
She walked over and sat down beside Sienna. You okay, honey? You look like you didn't sleep. Sienna hesitated, then told her everything. The gas station, the biker, the heart attack.
Using her last $8. Linda's eyes went wide. "You helped a Hell's Angel." "Girl, you're braver than me." "Or stupider," Sienna muttered.
According to Mrs. Johnson, Linda reached over and squeezed her hand. Baby, you did what your heart told you to do. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about that. But what if she's right?
What if I brought trouble into my life? Linda looked her in the eye. "You saved a man's life, Sienna. That's never the wrong thing to do." Sienna wanted to believe her, but doubt gnawed at her.
During her break, she pulled out the business card. She stared at the crown-with-wings logo, turning it over in her fingers. She pulled out her phone and typed a text message to the number on the card. "Hi, this is Sienna Clark. Cole gave me this number."
She hit send before she could change her mind. Within seconds, her phone rang. She stared at the screen. Unknown number. She let it go to voicemail.
A minute later, she listened to the message. "Sienna, it's Cole. Hawk wants to meet you today. Can you come to Murphy's Diner on Fifth Street at 3 p.m.? It's important.
Please." Sienna's heart pounded. Linda leaned over. "What did they say?"
"They want to meet me this afternoon."
"Then go," Linda said. "What's the worst that could happen? Free coffee." Sienna tried to smile, but her stomach was in knots. She was off work at 2:00 p.m.