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Anguish washed across her face. “Do you mean the boy whose car I destroyed?”
“It wasn’t your fault, Mama. He knows that someone ran you off the road. He’s not upset about it. And he’s been staying at our place since the accident.”
“Shit, I just remembered, I scheduled someone in his room.”
“We know. He has been staying in my room.”
“Your room?”
“Yeah. I hope you don’t mind but I’ve been staying in yours.”
“Oh,” she said with a bigger smile. “I guess we’re going to get pretty cozy in there when I get back.”
I stared at her blankly. I hadn’t thought about that. With my mother coming home, she would probably need her space to recuperate. Where would I sleep? All of the rooms were full, and there is no way I was going to let Hil sleep on a couch or move out.
I continued to think about this as I drove home. I felt like there were things I needed to do to prepare for her return. I wasn’t sure what they were at this point. But the thought of them felt overwhelming.
Pulling up to the house, I stared at the truck parked outside. It had taken some effort to get it for Hil, but the feeling I had giving it to him made me want to wrap my arms around him and never let him go. Yes, he was owed it, considering that he would still have his own car if Mama hadn’t been driving it. But also, it was my way of telling Hil how much I wanted him to stick around.
I was starting to need him. It was crazy. We had just met. But our kiss told me everything I needed to know.
He was the most incredible guy I had met in my life. His enthusiasm was infectious. I might have sat in my truck and thought about all of the ways I was going to be unable to live without him when he stepped onto the porch and met my eyes with a smile.
Getting out, I strolled up to him. God, I wanted to kiss him again. And the way he looked at me made me believe that he wanted it to. This wasn’t the time, though. There were more important things than we had to do. Mama was coming home. We had to get things ready.
“How is she?” Hil asked with genuine concern.
“Dr. Tom said she can come home.”
His face sparkled with joy.
“That’s amazing!”
I lowered my head, remembering the rest of what the doctor had said.
“What’s the matter?”
I pulled myself together. “Nothing. You’re right, it’s amazing.”
Hil didn’t quite believe me, but he didn’t push the issue. Instead, he recaptured his brilliant smile and wrapped his arm around mine.
“Then I guess we need to prepare.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, knowing there was an elephant in the room that we needed to talk about.
Together, we came up with a plan.
“I don’t know how you feel about this, but if she can’t get around, I can help her. And, you know, things like getting to the bathroom, helping her in the shower… the things a son would never want to do with their mother,” he offered, further chipping at the wall guarding my heart.
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t ask. I’m offering. It would be my privilege to be able to do this for… her,” he said looking into my eyes.
I ached loving him so much. I had no idea how I was going to get through this. Yet, every step of the way, he had me.
I…” I began not being able to say more.
“You, what?” he asked gently.
