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“I’m in Saratoga County,” her mother said.
“And a friend brought you here?” she asked. That was probably forty-five minutes away depending on the home her mother was in. “How are you getting back?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ve got some money. I can call an Uber.”
By money it meant her mother was getting her personal needs allowance from the state. That was less than two hundred dollars a month. It was the end of the month and she’d bet her mother didn’t have enough left to get her home.
“I can take you back,” she said. If her mother told her no, that would mean that this was all a lie. If her mother said yes, she’d feel as if she could talk to the counselors and get an idea of what was really going on.
“Can I think about it?” her mother asked.
She frowned. “You can, but if you are in a home, you’re going to most likely have to return today. Don’t most places only give a day pass?”
She knew how this worked. Or the gist of it.
“I’ve got until six to get back home. Lots of time.”
Her phone went off with an alert at the door at the same time she heard it open and Christian yelling, “Liz?”
“In the kitchen,” she said. She wasn’t sure why he was here. “What are you doing here?”
“I saw someone on the porch ringing the bell.”
She wanted to growl at him. She’d had no idea he had access to this on his phone. He’d never said a word.
She hadn’t asked either. She wouldn’t have said no if he asked, but the fact he did it without her knowledge felt intrusive even if he was the one who set it up.
There was no way she was going to argue with him right now over it. They’d have to deal with it later.
“Christian Butler, this is my mother, Lily Sherman.”
“Oh,” he said.
“Yeah. Oh. Can I see you in the other room?” She turned to her mother. “I’ll be right back. If you want more to eat, help yourself.”
“I didn’t know,” he said when they were in the front office. An empty room like so many others.
“No,” she said. “You wouldn’t know. Just like I was stunned when the doorbell rang and woke me up.”
“I thought it was a homeless person,” he said quietly. “I was worried.”
She snorted. That was a good description of the way her mother looked. Her hair was more white with black mixed in; it was messy and all over the place and might not have been washed in a few days.
There was a stench of cigarette smoke around her mother too. She didn’t know if it was from her mother smoking or those she was keeping in contact with. It didn’t matter either.
“No reason to be worried.”
“What’s going on?” he asked. “You said you haven’t talked to her in years and she just shows up?”
“I’m trying to figure out what is going on. I’m not in any danger. I’ll let you know when I know more.”
“Meaning you want me to leave?” he asked.
“If you could. She’s talking to me now and she might not if you are here. I’ll explain more later, I promise.”
“After you yell at me for coming over?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“Maybe,” she said. “Now go.” She gave him a little shove toward the door.
