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“Oh, Reese, you shouldn’t have slept on the couch,” I was greeted by Mom’s sleepy voice as I walked back into the living room with a cup of coffee in my hand.
“I’m not going to let you sleep in here by yourself after surgery.” I went to her and bent down to give her a good hug and kiss. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired.” She looked groggy.
“Pain?” I questioned, pulling over the ottoman so I could sit by her chair.
“A little, but I don’t want more of that hard stuff they gave me.” She shuddered in disgust, and I fought a laugh.
I didn’t want her to have more of it either. Any more Dilaudid, and next thing I knew, I’d be married with twins on the way.
“How does some Tylenol sound?” I pulled the bottle from my pocket and tapped out two pills into my palm.
“Do I—”
“Yes,” I said in warning. “Doctor’s orders.”
She harrumphed but took the pills and her water bottle and downed the medication.
“Are you hungry?” I asked when she was finished.
She shook her head and then reached for my hand, clasping it to her chest. “I’m so glad to see you, Reese.”
Oh boy.She probably didn’t remember the first round of her emotional outburst, so now I was going to be treated to round two.
“Of course, I’d be here, Mom. You know I can’t trust you to follow instructions and not overdo it,” I teased gently.
“Yeah, yeah, but that’s not what I meant.” Her hands squeezed, and it sent a shot of dread straight to my chest—dread that grew into a ball of lead when her eyes glazed over with unshed tears. “I mean, I’m so happy to see you with someone. I know I only just met him, but Decker seems like a wonderful man to come out here with you, to be by your side like that…”
The floor seemed to tip and tilt underneath me.This was a nightmare.I had to still be sleeping because this was my worst fear—she’d remembered everything.
I stared at her like a deer in headlights, frozen in shock.
“I know I don’t talk about it very much because I don’t like to think I failed you, but when you went to New York and then were alone for so long…I thought it was my fault.” Her soft voice and sad smile broke my heart. “I thought because I never found someone that you were shutting yourself out.”
“Mom…” I wanted to tell her she was wrong—that none of this was her fault. But to do that, I’d have to tell her Decker wasn’t my boyfriend, and the way she was looking at me…
“I know I’m being silly.” She swiped a tear from her eye and smiled. “Now, I realize you were just waiting for your perfect match.”
Five minutes, and she knew he was the perfect one?
Had the doctor replaced her brain along with her knee?
“Where is Decker?” Her brow creased. “Did he not stay here last night? Had I known, I would’ve gotten a new bed for your room. Oh, I feel so terrible—”
“No, Mom. Please don’t worry about it. Decker is perfectly fine,” I assured her, my head nodding in slow motion as all my good, truthful intentions unraveled.
I was a horrible person—an official diagnosis for lying to my mother after her surgery about something like this. But as much as I hated to disappoint her, the only thing worse was disappointing her and knowing she’d blame herself for it. My mother was so strong, so caring…she was simply my inspiration.
The truth was strong medicine…but so was the placebo effect. And in this case, that fake relationship was going to make her feel better, so that was the pill she was going to get.
I patted her hand lovingly and proceeded to lie through my smiling teeth.“He’s…at the hotel. He’s going to pick up breakfast and then come over.”
As soon as I called him and told him what he was supposed to be doing.
And that he was still my fake boyfriend.
* * *
