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I grabbed my CeraVe lotion and returned to the dining room table, where Liam was checking out his new nails. I set the bottle down in front of him, and he squirted some into his palm then rubbed his hands together, focusing on his knuckles before holding them out to me. “Better?”
When I didn’t move, he arched his brow, like he really did need my approval. Wrapping one hand around his wrist, I dragged the pads of my fingers over his knuckles. “Better. You keep using that and Finn’s mom should be very happy when she comes back from Antarctica.”
This time, he frowned. “Finn’s mom?”
“Yeah, I figured… Are you two not together?”
“No.”
The awkward silence that descended was like that time in cosmetology school when Jade ended up turning her client’s hair pink by accident and everyone was staring, afraid to say anything to make it worse.
Liam eventually cleared his throat. “Tessa and I knew each other for a long time before we started dating. It wasn’t anything serious, and by the time she found out she was pregnant, we were both sure we were better as friends.”
It was my turn to clear my throat. “So, you and Tessa are…friends?”
“Yeah. Great friends.” The corner of his mouth kicked up as he tugged at his sweater, this one thin and light green. “We have to be to make sure we’re doing right by Finn.”
At a loss for what to say, I went with, “That’s really mature.”
As I began packing up my nail polish, Liam leaned forward, locking his fingers together, eyeing me seriously. I imagined he did that a lot when speaking to students. “Are we going to talk about why you aren’t driving?”
I paused. “What?”
“Your car hasn’t left the spot it was parked in since Wednesday night.”
“How do you know?”
“I have two working eyes.”
Lost for an explanation that didn’t make me sound unreliable, I sputtered out a few syllables. “I…uh… Well, the thing…um…”
I was already a nervous driver to begin with, and ever since the accident, thinking about getting behind the wheel again made me a tad nauseous. Even though Liam had left me his car for Monday and Tuesday, I didn’t use it, instead sticking Finn in the stroller to walk him to and from school. It was good exercise, and I was learning my new neighborhood. Plus, it gave Finn and me time to explore nature. He was a big fan of collecting blades of grass.
I didn’t think anything of continuing our little jaunts. But I’d never guessed Liam would notice I never actually moved my car.
“Kennedy, I need you to talk to me.”
I swallowed down my trepidation and started at the beginning. “I was fourteen when I had my first seizure. I have juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, and it was a complete surprise when it happened. It was close to Christmas, and my sister was home from college. Our mom was out, and I was in the kitchen getting a drink. The next thing I knew, I woke up in a pool of blood.” With my gaze down, I couldn’t see him, but I heard his audible intake of breath. “I’d dropped the glass I’d been holding and inadvertently cut my arm when I fell. I even peed myself at some point. I was confused, in pain, terrified…embarrassed.”
I finally raised my head, lingering emotions of that night clogging my throat.
Liam moved seats so he was next to me, though he kept his hands to himself. But his being nearer helped. “What happened?”
“My sister called 9-1-1, and I was in the hospital for a couple days until all the tests were run and my diagnosis was sorted. Then it was a lot of appointments with neurologists and years of experimenting with medication for the right combination.”
“You’re on the right combination now?” he asked, and I wagged my head side to side.
“It’s hard because everyone’s body is constantly changing, which affects how they respond to meds. The last two or three years have been in flux for me, and some of the pills don’t have very nice side effects. Like this one that they recently changed because studies have shown it causes heart problems. And there was one I was on in high school that made me depressed.” I heaved a sigh. “It’s hard.”
“I’m sorry,” Liam said, his knee resting against mine.
“I’m used to it.”
“Still sucks, though.”
I nodded, even as it was awkward to describe my medical condition to the man who entrusted me with his son. I was supposed to be impressing him, not making him more suspicious. “I’ve mostly gotten over my fear of blacking out and not waking up. But really—” I curled my hand around his forearm because I needed him to believe me “—I haven’t had a seizure in so long. It won’t be an issue. It won’t affect my job.”
He blew out a small, annoyed puff of air between his lips, and I both hated and loved that irritated little breath. Because I didn’twantto annoy him, but it also felt the tiniest bit thrilling to earn that stern look from him. Especially when he said, “This past week has been one of the best weeks in recent memory, and it’s because I’m not stressed and anxious over Finn. You’re doing great. But I am worried aboutyou.”
