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She looked back into the phone. “Don’t look at me like that; it was your daughter who came up with it. Ethan and Wyatt don’t like it but don’t want to get on her bad side.”
’Atta girl. Dona, no matter what, always had everyone wrapped around her fingers; it was a talent, really.
“Aunty Cora, stop calling us that,” I heard Wyatt say grumpily.
“Wyatt?” I called out.
“Mom!”
The phone twisted upside down and then back around as he held it right up to his face. “Mom! When are you coming back?”
“Today sweetheart and no one is stopping me, I promise.” Neither Liam nor I wanted them to leave the safe house until we could be with them, so over the last week, the best I could do was video call them. It was fine at first—I was too tired to actually move anyway—but now I missed them and the longer I was away, the less comfortable I felt.
“Wyatt, is that Mom?” Ethan’s voice came from the background.
“Yes—”
“Hi, Mommy.” Dona had somehow managed to grab the phone and was waving it at me. “Are you better now?”
“Yes, I’m all better. How are you?”
She frowned. “Aunty Cora keeps making me swim and run! Even though Uncle Declan said I didn’t have to. I’m so tired and Ethan and Wyatt keep fighting. Uncle Neal eats all my favorite snacks! He put six Oreos in his mouth Mommy, SIX! What else? Oh…Nana and Aunty Mina make us do all this school work every day! I—”
“Dona! That’s enough, share!” Wyatt took the phone, then Ethan took the phone, and it looked like he went into another room and closed the door behind him.
“HEY!” both Dona and Wyatt yelled on the other side.
“Hi, Mommy.” He smiled, pretending not to hear them. His eyes looked so green.
“Mio bel leoncino, how are you?”
He shrugged. “I’m okay, are you okay? I…I saw the video.”
“The video?”
He nodded. “The one where you got shot. It was all over the internet. Everyone’s been trying to hide it from us, though. Dona and Wyatt didn’t see, I made sure.”
“Thank you. I’m glad they didn’t see it. I don’t want any of you to worry, I’m perfectly fine. I’ll be home today, too.”
He didn’t speak for what felt like forever.
“Ethan, what’s wrong?”
“Who did it?” he questioned angrily, and for a spilt-second, he looked exactly like Liam. Not funny, carefree, and nerdy Liam, but willing to kill anyone at any time Liam.
“Some very stupid people,” I answered.
“You and Dad are going to do something right? They aren’t going to hurt you again right?” I could tell he was hurt. These weren’t conversations to be had over the phone. I needed to be there and hold him and tell him to his face this would never happen again.
“Mel?”
I glanced up as Liam came back into the room, a frown on his face as he looked to me and then back over to the phone. He came over and took it from me but relaxed when he saw Ethan.
“Mini-me, what are you and your mother talking about?” he asked, sitting back beside me.
“None of your business. Now give it back—”
“Oooh, now I really want to know. Son,” he said with a stern face.
