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“Mmhm.”
“Should we tell your mother bye?”
“Nah, you’ll see her again.”
Cali enjoyed her time with Grace. When they arrived Grace didn’t hesitate to hug and embrace her and seemed excited that she was there. While she took Cali on a tour of the facility she chatted away about how they differed from other facilities by allowing twenty-four hour care for parents who worked weekends and odd shifts.
They two women settled into an exchange that felt as if they were well acquainted and now just meeting. War lingered behind, enjoying the comfort with which Cali fit into his life, knowing he made the right call introducing the two. Cali would see his mother again. There was no doubt about it.
Once they were settled in his truck, War had eyes on Cali. “You talked to your sister today? We can pull up to make sure she’s good.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “We don’t have to. I talked to her while we were here. She texted me. We have an agreement that I won’t tiptoe around her or try to hold her hand through this.”
“And you’re cool with that?”
She shrugged. “I have to be. She’s grown. All I can do is let her make the decisions she needs and be here for her. I can’t live her life for her.”
He glanced at Cali after he pulled out into traffic. “That shit is killing you though, isn’t it?”
“What?” She frowned.
“That you can’t live her life for her and you have to fall back and let her make her own mistakes.”
She nodded. “You know how people always say they can be surrounded by others and still feel lonely.”
War nodded, brows tight. “That’s kind of what it’s like with me and Conner. We’ve been surrounded by people all our lives but it’s only ever been us. No one else mattered. So not the lonely part but that you can have access to plenty of people and still be alone on an island. It’s hard not to care. It’s hard not to try to make things right for her even when I know I can’t.”
“That’s love, Cali. You love your sister so you want more for her than you do for yourself.” He brushed a finger down the side of her face. “But that’s cool though, because I got you and all the things you won’t demand for yourself.”
“And who has you?”
“Shit you better or I’m fucked.” He smirked and she confirmed.
“You’re not fucked.”
THIRTEEN
War: where you at?
Cali: can’t talk, right now, I have an appointment.
Cali grinned.
War: Appointment?
Cali: yep, an APPOINTMENT and I’m late. I’ll hit you later.
Before she could lock her phone, a call was coming through.
“You really want to play with people’s lives like that?”
“How am I playing with people’s lives?”
“What kind of appointment, Cali?” he demanded and her cheeks hurt from smiling so hard.
“Not the kind that involves male anatomy. Conner agreed to do a group session today, so we have an appointment with my therapist in two minutes.”
“That’s good, right?”
