“Some ice would be good,” Grace answered.
“I’ll go get it,” Liv offered. “I’ll give you two a minute.” She patted Grace’s leg and disappeared out the door.
Grace’s lip quivered as she looked up at me, her blue eyes glistening with tears. “I need to see Sam. Is he okay?”
I gently wiped away her tears with the back of my hand. “Cash is checking on him right now, sweetheart.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “It came out of nowhere.”
“I’m so sorry, baby.” I stroked her arm, attempting to soothe her. When she was a little girl she always used to ask for ‘arm tickles.’ “I know you’re worried about Sam, sweetheart. Cash is finding out everything he can, but we need to keep you calm, okay?”
“Mama.” She looked at me tentatively, her eyes still heavy from the medication. “I need to tell you something, and I need you to promise you won’t be mad.”
“Well, considering how pitiful you look in this hospital bed, it’s going to take a lot to make me mad, so you’re at an advantage,” I joked. “What is it, sweetie?”
She took a deep breath. “Sam and I… we’re kind of a thing.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” I said.
She pressed her lips together, her tired eyes filled with trepidation. “We’ve been a thing for a while. Like since before Aunt Liv’s wedding.”
“Okay,thissurprises me,” I admitted.
She hesitated before speaking again. “Do you remember the night of Liv’s wedding when I told you I was going to stay the night with Lexi and that Sam was going to take me?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Let me guess. There was no sleepover with Lexi.”
She sighed and shook her head.
“Grace, why didn’t you feel like you could tell me about this?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” she said, her blinks slow and fluttery. “I guess I thought you might think I was too young for a serious relationship.”
“So, is it?” I questioned. “Serious, I mean?”
She nodded. “I love him, Mom.”
I sat quietly for a moment, processing what she was telling me.
“You’re upset with me, aren't you?” she asked.
“I’m not. I promise,” I said. “I do wish you’d told me, though. I certainly have no room to judge anyone ever. You know I was your age when I met your father, right? Sometimes the heart wants what it wants. But, as your mother, I want to make sure you’re being safe.”
“We’re not having sex yet, if that’s what you mean,” she added slowly.
I breathed a sigh of relief. “And as it happens, I can’t be too upset because I have some news I haven’t shared with you yet either, and I’m not really sure how you’re going to take it.”
She tilted her head to the side, wincing slightly.
“While you were gone, I…” I let out a sharp breath. “Cash and I started dating.”
Her eyes widened, and then she broke into a smile which caused her to flinch. She instinctively reached for her bandaged cheek. “Are you serious? Mom, that's amazing.”
“Do you remember that night you called and said something about how you were going to tell Cash he should have dinner with me?” I gritted my teeth together.
She squinted as she thought for a few seconds, her foggy brain not quite putting the pieces together. “Yeah…”
“We were actually together when you called that night,” I confessed.
