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“I’ll be here to help her.” The woman walks my way, one hand out. “I’m LaShawn. Your mom and I are going to be hanging out together during the day.” Her expression is warm and friendly. “I haven’t met the night nurse yet, but I can guarantee you she will fall in love with your mother immediately, just like I did.”
“Night nurse?” I glance at my mother, hoping she might offer me some insight, but she’s dutifully sipping at the water LaShawn gave her.
“Mr. Valinov has made it very clear that your beautiful mama is never to be left unattended, so there will always be someone here with her.”
“Mr. Valinov said that?” I’m suddenly wondering what else I might have missed.
After my little visit with Andre this morning where I tested the new theory I’m working with, I went and took a shower. When I came back out, the door to his office was closed and there was a chef in the kitchen making breakfast. I didn’t see anyone else come and go, but there might have been twenty or thirty minutes after I stuffed myself on raspberry syrup-topped French toast that I indulged in a little bit of a catnap in Andre’s bed.
It seems like he might have taken full advantage of that time.
“You’ve got yourself a good one there.” LaShawn gives me an exaggerated wink. “That man is all about making sure your mama is taken care of.” She turns to where my mother is still smiling. “And who wouldn’t? She’s pretty damn fantastic.”
I’m not sure what I’m most stunned by. The fact that Andre already hired not just one, but two nurses to care for my mother, or the fact that LaShawn so easily sees how wonderful the woman she’s caring for is.
“She is.” I reach out to rest one hand on my mom’s shin, stroking it through the soft blanket covering her frail body. “The best.”
It’s one of the many reasons I need her to get better. I want to have the chance to make the world see her the way I do. I want my mom to know what it’s like to be on the good side of the coin.
I want to show all the people that judged her how wrong they were.
My mom gives Madison a little wave. “Hey, Madison honey. How are you?”
Madison moves in to sit down beside my mother, tucking her feet under her butt as she settles onto the king-sized bed. “Not as great as you are, living here in a penthouse, eating,” she leans to peer at the remnants of my mother’s breakfast, “what is that? French toast?”
My mother nods. “With raspberry sauce and whipped cream.” She makes a show of licking her lips. “It was fantastic.”
“Good.” Madison leans down to rest her head on my mom’s shoulder. “You deserve fantastic.”
Madison has always loved my mom. Always loved to dig through her makeup and jewelry, even after I stopped.
She was one of the few people who always saw my mother like I did.
Which is more than I can say for her father.
“How’s work going, honey?” My mom reaches out to pat Madison’s leg. “Are they keeping you as busy as they are Paisley?”
Madison glances my way. “For now.” She straightens as my mother stifles a yawn. “I should probably get going. I bet all that French toast is ready to put you in a food coma.”
“I am a little sleepy.” My mother gives her another smile. “You’ll have to come back and see me again soon.”
“I will.” Madison gives her a sympathetic smile and it grates on my nerves.
I don’t like when people look at my mother with pity any more than I liked when they looked at her with disgust.
She doesn’t need their pity. She’s going to be fine. I still have three days to come up with the rest of the money, and then she’ll get the medication that will save her.
I’ll have time to right all the wrongs and show everyone the truth.
“Next time I’ll come earlier so I can have French toast too.” Madison leans in and kisses my mom on the top of the head before smiling at LaShawn and following me out of the room. She immediately scoots in close at my side. “Andre hired nurses to take care of your mom?”
“Seems like.” I should probably be mad that he took that into his own hands, but I can’t find even the tiniest bit of anger.
My mom will have a trained medical professional by her side at all times. I won’t have to worry about her while I’m away at work. I won’t have to try to get ahold of her doctor every time something concerning happens.
I know there’s a line somewhere, stretched between Andre and me, but no matter how hard I hunt for it I can’t seem to figure out where it is.
All I know is that the deeper I get into this, the more difficult it is for me to find the boundaries. The parameters I thought we were working within.
