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Within a few minutes, Nikki, Marcella, and Tasha enter and take their seats next to their guys—Nikki with Cole, Marcella with Nate, and Tasha with Trent. It’s always the six of them and me. Well, really the five of us and Nate’s girlfriend of choice that month, as he’s always saying they aren’t good enough to stay with for longer than that. I don’t mind since at least I finally have girls to hang out with instead of the testosterone world I’ve lived in for a few years.
When the food comes out, we all dig in and spend the rest of the night laughing as we stroll down memory lane of all the ups and downs we’ve been through that brought us to this night.
Just as we’re wrapping things up, I look down at my phone as it rings with an incoming call. When I see the nameSusielight up my screen, my stomach flips. She never calls me, and as I think about it, my mom never texted me back either after I sent that photo.
My eyes meet with Nate, and he sees the worry written all over my face as I scoot out of the booth to take the call.
From the corner of the tiny restaurant, I slide the Answer button across the screen as Nate mouths,Everything okay?
I shrug as I answer, “Hi, Susie. What’s going on? Is my mom okay?”
“Sweetie, I’m so sorry to call you like this, especially so late, but your mom is not doing so well …”
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
Hannah
“What do you mean, not doing so well? What’s going on?”
She sighs. “I don’t want to panic you, as she’s fine—physically.”
“Okay …” I say, hoping she gets the drift that I’m waiting for something more.
“A few of us have just been noticing some things that have been off. It’s started to get more noticeable recently, but I’ve researched it more and more, and it says when it gets this bad, that means it’s really been going on for about eight years. And when I think back, that actually makes even more sense.”
“Susie, I’m confused. What are you talking about?” I cut her off because I feel like she’s talking in circles.
Nate walks over to me and leans down to catch my eye. When I glance up, he mouths again,Everything okay?
I shrug because I still don’t really know.
“I took your mom to Billings tonight for a concert that I thought she would enjoy,” Susie says.
“What happened?”
“Sweetie, it breaks my heart to tell you this, but she got really confused. She didn’t know where we were or who I was.”
“What?” I ask, my eyebrows pinching together.
“I think she has dementia, and it’s really progressing. Taking her out of her small world here tonight really threw her for a loop.”
My heart sinks as I grab Nate’s arm, so I don’t fall to the floor.
Nate grabs the phone from me and puts it on speakerphone when he sees it’s Susie. “Hey, Susie. It’s Nate. What’s going on?”
“Hi, Nate. I’m sorry to call you guys like this, but I think Hannah’s mom is going to need some help. She’s been very confused lately, and when I took her out of Mason Creek, I think it confused her even more, really showing me what’s been going on.”
We’re the only people in the restaurant, and when I notice no one else talking, I glance toward the table. When my eyes meet with D’Ambra’s, she jumps to her feet and races toward me, concern written all over her face.
“What’s going on?” she asks as she wraps her arm around me.
“I’m so sorry, Hannah,” Susie says. “I’ve thought about calling you for a while, but I didn’t want to bother you with what you have going on. I know it’s important, and I hear you guys are doing really well, but … it’s just … Bobbi has no other family here, and I really think she shouldn’t live alone anymore.”
D’Ambra holds me tighter as she brings me back to the table, and Nate follows with my phone. Once I sit down, I let the shock of everything wash over me, and I take a deep breath.
“Where is she?” I ask.
“I brought her home with me, but she was still really confused, so we’re back at my place. I’ve called on a couple of our friends to help out when I have to go to work.”
