Chapter 30 - The Late Night Panic
|
The phone on Arthur’s nightstand buzzed violently at two in the morning.
He bolted upright, his heart instantly hammering in his chest.
Old instincts flared to life—a late-night call usually meant a crisis, a threat, or a disaster.
He grabbed the phone.
“Hello?”
“Dad, I can't do it.”
It was Maya. She sounded completely terrified, hyperventilating on the other end of the line.
Arthur immediately threw off the covers and swung his legs out of bed.
“Maya, what’s wrong? Where are you? Are you safe?”
“I’m in my apartment,” she sobbed. “I’m sitting on the floor surrounded by flashcards. I take the Bar Exam in three days and I don't remember anything. I forgot the entire civil procedure code. I’m going to fail.”
Arthur let out a massive, heavy sigh of relief, slumping back against the headboard.
She wasn't in danger. She was just a law student having a panic attack.
“Maya, listen to my voice,” Arthur said calmly.
“I’m going to fail and the foundation won't be able to hire me and I’ll be useless.”
“Maya. Stop.”
She hiccuped, falling silent.
“You have studied for this exam for four months straight,” Arthur said, his voice a steady, grounding anchor. “You graduated at the top of your class. You have already won three major cases working under your supervisor. You know this material better than the people who wrote the test.”
“But what if I freeze?”
“You won't.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you stood in a room with Charles Whitmore when you were ten years old and didn't blink,” Arthur reminded her gently. “A standardized test is not going to defeat you.”
Maya let out a long, shaky breath.
“You’re right.”
“I know I am. Now, put the flashcards away. Get a glass of water, and go to sleep. That is an order from your boss.”
Maya laughed, a small, exhausted sound.
“Okay, Dad. Thank you.”
“I love you, Maya. Go to sleep.”
May you like
Arthur hung up the phone, smiling softly in the dark.
These were the kinds of crises he wanted to handle for the rest of his life.
