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Yet, that “beast” made midnight bottles and stayed up with Theo during Theo’s most colicky nights, quietly telling her, “Rest,mladshaya sestra,” which she’d later learned was him referring to her as his “little sister.”
Why didn’t she lean on them sooner?
Now, she didn’t know what to do. She had a client scheduled for psychotherapy in less than an hour, and she had nowhere to take Theo or anyone around to watch him.
Back when he was an infant, she’d take him to the office. The space had a small cut-out that she’d fashioned into a nursery. Many of the people in their community had known Curtis, so none of the clients ever took issue with a baby in the office. Some even asked if Theo could sit in-session with them, and his presence had brought them the comfort they’d needed to open up.
Once he became mobile, she hired a nanny, and it appeared that would wind up being the case again. Until then, she was on her own.
It was difficult, and she feared she was giving the boys a life they’d need therapy to recover from, but they never saw that part. They saw a happy, caring, loving mother who would walk across flaming stones with open sores on her feet if it meant guaranteeing their joy.
“Mama,”Theo called with more agony in his voice than the ending to a Shakespearean tragedy.
She turned onto the street that led to their house. “Yes, Theo?”
“Appo.”
“Apple? You’re hungry?” She glanced at the clock. “Yeah, they charged me for your food this week, yet I conveniently had to come pick you up before snack time.”
The house came into view.
“Mama, appo.”
“As soon as we get home, I’ll cut up an apple for you, sweetheart.”
“Mama! Mama, Jo!Douk.”
“Look?” She glanced in the rearview mirror to find him pointing out the window and followed his finger. “Look at w—”
It was like Theo had a sixth sense for this man.
Joel stood at the front door, his phone in one hand and the other in his pocket. He’d told her he would be coming down for a visit, but then the team was called away on assignment. However, she talked to Tayler early that morning while Tayler was on her way to meet Gage. That meant Joel couldn’t have gone home.
He’d come straight to Maui.
When he spotted the SUV, he smiled, waved, and made his way over to the garage, looking healthy and uninjured in a plain T-shirt, a casual pair of summer shorts, and low-top sneakers. Although he continually joked about trying to match Gage on the bench press, there was nothing wrong with the way he looked.
She barely had time to park before Theo started whining and reaching toward the window as if she was purposefully keeping him away from his best friend.
Joel opened the door, removed the buckles and straps, lifted Theo out of the car seat, and Theo did his usual—set his head on Joel’s shoulder while sucking his fingers. Soon, she’d probably start hearing rumors that Joel was Theo’s father if one of Curtis’ family’s sentinels saw how Theo acted around him.
“Hey, sorry to drop in on you like this,” he said. “I didn’t have time to call. I flew straight here after we debriefed.”
She grabbed her purse and shut the driver’s side door, all of a sudden so hungry that her hunger pangs felt like butterfly wings.
“Oh, it’s fine. Plus, my phone was in my purse. That’s probably why I didn’t hear it go off.”
He nuzzled Theo, who released a spoiled little half-laugh. “Wasn’t expecting to find the two of you.”
“I have an appointment in,” she checked her phone, “forty minutes, but I was stopping at the house to pick up snacks to take with me.”
She entered the house through the garage door, Joel on her heels. Realistically, he wasn’tthatclose, but she picked up her pace to add space between them. Then she set her purse on the kitchen counter, gripped the stone edge, and looked down at the floor. Before she could stop them, the words came tumbling from her mouth.
“They kicked him out.”
“Kicked who out?” Joel asked. “Theo? You mean the new daycare?”
“Yeah.” She raised her head. “That’s why he’s with me in the middle of the day.”
