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I grinned and put my sandwich down. “Brace yourself.”
She smiled and clasped her hands together. “Consider me braced.”
I lifted my shirt, and her eyes went wide.
“Did those hurt?”
“Hell, yes, they did.” I smoothed my shirt back down and ate some more of my sandwich as Laura stole a few of my chips.
“Do you think Teddy would like it if I did that?”
I laughed. “I’m beginning to think I’m a bad influence on you, and I like it.”
A loud thunk sounded in the hallway.
“What was that?” Laura cocked her head to the side.
“I don’t know. Stay here.” I grabbed a knife from the butcher block and walked into the dining room. I crept to the hall door, holding the knife at the ready. Peeking out, I saw Farns lying in the foyer.
“Oh shit, Laura!” I dropped the knife and ran to Farns. He lay on his side, blood running from a wound on his forehead.
He tried to sit up, but I pushed him down. “Don’t move. Let us look at you.”
“No.” He pointed up the stairs, and his eyes swam. “Rebecca. Help her.”
“Help her?”
Laura knelt and pressed a dishtowel to his forehead.
“Take care of him. I’m going to see about Rebecca.” I darted up the stairs and dashed down the third floor hall.
Renee’s sobs sounded clearly from Rebecca’s room. I rushed through the door and stopped. The matriarch of the family lay still in her bed, her face turned toward the sun and her eyes closed. Renee sat next to her, gripping Rebecca’s hand between hers.
“Renee.” I walked over and rested my palm on her back. “I’m so sorry.”
“Sh-she spoke to me this morning. It was her. The real her. She told me she loved me and the boys and to watch over you. And then she said she wanted a-a nap.” Renee pulled Rebecca’s hand to her lips and kissed it. “I thought she was sleeping. I didn’t even notice.” She stroked Rebecca’s hair. “Please don’t. Please come back.” Her tear-filled pleas tore at my heart, but all I could do was be there for her as she cried.
I pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat as Renee smoothed Rebecca’s hair and talked to her. Some of the most beautiful things I’d ever heard passed Renee’s lips. The love between them was stronger than even I realized, and the well of grief inside Renee seemed to have no bottom.
After a while, Laura crept through the door. When she realized Rebecca was gone, she put a hand to her mouth. I stood and went to her.
“Farns?” I whispered.
“He’s fine. Just came down the stairs too fast and slipped.” She didn’t look away from Rebecca. “I-is she?”
I nodded. “Go take care of Farns. I’ll wait here with Renee.”
She wiped at her eyes. “All right.”
Hours passed before I heard the familiar roar of a motorcycle. Teddy had returned, Sin and Lucius likely with him.
“Renee, honey. I’m going to go tell them. I’ll bring them up in a few minutes, okay?”
She didn’t respond.
I left the room and headed for the foyer. Teddy was the first one through the door. The smile on his face faded as soon as he saw me.
“What? What is it?”
There was no other way to say it. “Your mom. I’m sorry, Teddy. But she’s passed.”
He looked up the stairs. “When?”
“This morning.” I hugged him. “I’m sorry.”
Sin walked in, Lucius right behind him. I went to Sin, his strong arms encircling me.
“Mom’s dead.” Teddy ran a hand through his hair and began to climb the stairs.
“What?” Lucius turned to me.
“She passed in her sleep this morning. Peacefully. Renee is up there with her.”
Sin held me close, his heart beating wildly as if he’d been shot full of adrenaline. Lucius followed Teddy to the third floor.
“In her sleep?”
I swallowed hard. “Yes. She was kind to Renee this morning and then took a nap. She didn’t wake up.”
“Renee? How is she handling it?” He absentmindedly rubbed his hands up and down my back.
“Not great. I haven’t been able to pull her away. Are you okay?”
“I can’t tell. My mother’s dead, but…”
“It’s all right to have mixed emotions.”
“My problem is having emotions at all. You’ve changed me somehow. Before… Before, I don’t think I would have felt this sort of, I don’t know what it is. I can’t put it in words.” He sighed in frustration. “There’s an ache where there used to be nothing.”
I pulled away and met his eyes. “It’s sorrow.”
He stroked the back of his hand down my cheek. “I think so. And I always knew she would die. I assumed it would be in some horrible fashion.” He shook his head. “But in her sleep?”
“It’s a good thing.”
“Yes. I suppose we should go up.”
“I’ll be with you the whole time. I’m here for you.” I got on my tiptoes and kissed him. “Anything you need.”
