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With the trouble that I was currently in, maybe it was a better idea to get her settled into a center. Then at least she wouldn’t be caught in the middle of this mess. Who knows how long we were going to have to hide. This place might be a beautiful little cabin, but I wasn’t sure it was big enough for Greg and me together, much less large enough for my mother and her different levels of clarity.
I felt the wood under me vibrate and turned to see Greg. When he put his hand out to me, I felt like this was more significant than just him helping me off the ground. It was as if he were lending me a hand to move forward in my life, but would it include him?
When Greg wrapped his arms around me and stared down at me, I felt like I was on the precipice of something—a life-changing moment. “That was more than sex, Maggie.Youare more than just sex to me.”
I stepped off the cliff. Greg and I needed to take it slow, but we would get there. I had no doubt. From the way we felt, to how things might go if we worked together, we’d have difficulties and struggles, but we could do it.
As we stepped back into the cabin, I stared at my mother, once again lost to me, and knew that she had given me a gift today. It was time to accept her permission and move her to a home. A place where they could keep her safe, and I could visit with her, but still have my life without having to worry every moment of the day.
Over breakfast, it was a struggle to keep from crying, but I managed to make it through. I was washing the dishes when the cellphone that Mike had given us began to ring, and Greg retrieved it and took it outside. Mom sat on the other side of the room, staring out the window, waiting for the bus. She had a long wait.
I dried my hands on a towel and went to join Greg outside. As I reached him, he put the phone on speaker and put his arm around my waist and pulled me to his side. “Maggie is here, and you’re on speaker now.”
“Maggie!” Jake's voice bellowed through the line. “Girl, Greg said you were trouble, but man!”
Greg chuckled as I responded, “I like to keep people on their toes.”
“Yeah, we see that. Well, I was just confirming with Greg that it’s a no-go for you to travel with us this time because of the situation that you're in. The two of you need to stay safe and off the radar for a while.”
“I understand,” I replied.
“But that in no way will keep you from traveling in the future. I already told Greg that if he has a problem with it, he can staff the office, and I’ll go with you.” A few people laughed in the background.
“Yeah, well, we’ll talk about it later. One issue at a time,” Greg said before he kissed my brow.
“Hey, guys, it’s Trevor. I spoke to Detective Highmore today. He said that after last night's events, the problem might be going away. The word on the street is that the contract on the witnesses has dissolved. He isn’t one hundred percent sure, so he doesn’t want you guys around for a while, and he’s suggesting to most of the other witnesses that they take a vacation, but it looks like the danger might be gone.”
“That’s good to hear,” I said. “Any idea how long we have to stay under the radar?”
“He said at least a couple of weeks, so whatever you guys need, you let us know, and we’ll take care of it.”
I gnawed on my bottom lip for a moment. “Trevor, I might have to take you up on that. Before all of this started happening, I was getting my mother ready to do a respite at the nursing facility that she does a day program with. I think it might be better for her to be there. Is there any way you could help me make those arrangements and maybe get her transported there?”
“Absolutely! You text over phone numbers and contacts, and Davina and I will take care of it for you.”
“In the meantime,” Alex said, “Can you two stay out of trouble?”
I laughed. “We’ll try, Miller.”
They discussed a few other things, and I let Greg take it off speaker as I sat on the swing. When he got off the phone, he came to sit beside me. “You sure you want to do that with your mom?”
“Yes,” I smiled at him. “This morning when she was here with us, she told me it was time for her to go. She knows she is getting worse.”
“You know I’ll help you with anything that you need with your mom.”
“Thank you, Greg. I appreciate that, but I think it’s time. She will be safer, and they can care for her better there.”
“Hey, no one can care for her better than you, but you know them, I don’t.”
“True, but you know what I mean. She will be alright there. For a long time, I couldn’t even think about it because I felt guilty, but she wants me to do it.”
“If that’s what you want.”
“It’s not what I want, but it is what I need to do.”
Greg put his arm around my shoulders. “There is something else that you need to do.”
“Yeah, what is that?”
