Page 165 of Her Wicked Plan

As I enter, I find Mom sitting on the couch, a blanket she crocheted herself on her lap. I smile while I watch her tell off the character in whatever movie she is watching. My father sits in his recliner, Chloe on the couch beside my mother.

My eyes drop, and I see them holding hands, Chloe’s thumb blindly rubbing the back of Mom’s hand. Guilt flushes through me. I shouldn’t just be here for the weekend. I need to be here always.

While I stand there, no one notices me, as their eyes are glued to the TV. A small body bumps into my leg with a grunt. I glance down and watch Carter regain his balance with a dinosaur in his hand. His eyes find mine, and they light up.

“Uncle Leo!” He screeches with excitement.

Everyone’s attention has now turned on us as I pick the boy up and give him a big hug. “Hey, bud.”

“Leo, honey!” Mom greets me with a smile, leaning her body forward like she wants to stand up.

“Stay sitting, Mom.” She shouldn’t be getting up to hug me. She needs to relax.

“I didn’t know you were coming this weekend.”

“I wanted to keep it a surprise.” I set Carter down and tousle his hair before he leaves me, going to sit on the carpet between the TV and the coffee table where the rest of his toys are. I plop down onto the couch next to Chloe, my hand resting on her leg, giving it a soft squeeze. “What are we watching?”

“Jurassic Park,” Chloe answers. “It’s mainly because Carter is still in his dinosaur faze and begged to watch it.”

“And it’s the original movie.” Dad huffs out. He hates it when they remake anything.

I let go of Chloe’s hand, reaching over her to take my mother’s. “How are you doing?”

“I’m good, sweetie.” Her smile doesn’t reach her dull eyes, and a phone alarm goes off before she can continue speaking.

The sound is coming from Dad's phone, and he doesn’t let it ring for more than a second before stopping it. “Time for your medicine and rest.”

Mom nods at him and then turns to me. “I’m sorry. You just got here, and I’m going to nap.”

“Don’t worry about it, mom. I’m here until tomorrow afternoon.”

“Good.” She grins this one a little fuller, the light fighting to shine through.

As soon as she stands with Dad's help, I don’t take my eyes off her even though I want so badly to look away. She is too thin—the smallest I have ever seen her. As

Dad walks her around the coffee table, my eyes follow their movements and then drift over to Chloe, who is also watching. Tears line her eyes until she finds my gaze and offers a sad smile.

“I thought they said no medicine was helping the cancer.”

“It’s for the pain,” she informs me with a frown. “She’s been in a lot of it lately.”

I glance back to the kitchen, watching her take a drink to wash down the pill. “She didn’t tell me that.”

“She didn’t tell anyone other than her doctor, who then told dad.” She looks past me. “You can tell, though.”

They disappear out of the kitchen as they head up to their bedroom. Jurassic Park still plays in the background, Carter mimicking his toy dinosaur with how the dinosaur on the screen was roaring. “Have you told him?”

“He’s so young. He won’t understand.”

I watch my nephew play, and my heart twists, knowing he will be losing the best grandma ever. “Help him understand, Chloe. He needs to know.”

“You’re right.” She exhales a breath full of stress. “I knew the time would come to tell him, but I kept putting it off. Waiting for a miracle to come and save Mom.”

“Chloe…” My voice fell quiet.

She sniffs, tears falling down her face. At the sounds, Carter’s eyes leave the screen and find his mom. The kid doesn’t hesitate to get up, abandoning his toys and coming over to her.

“Mommy, why are you crying?” He is six, and he cares so much.