During the earthquake, I was trapped in the rubble with my feverish son, but my husband carried his sprained secretary to the ambulance. Just then, my father arrived by helicopter… – True Stories

a reduced sentence, then learned no one hires a secretary famous for deleting safety reports.

On quiet evenings, Mason and I sit on the balcony of our new home. He asks why Grandpa’s helicopter came that day.

I tell him, “Because love knows where to land.”

And when the city lights flicker below us, I no longer hear sirens.

I hear freedom.