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Caiti moves to counter, whether intending to chase me or satisfy my demand doesn’t matter. Her movement scores a win for me. Cami eases Caiti to her feet and tosses me a concerned glance. Nathan’s matching expression is unmistakable as I move passed to give them room.
“Where we going?” Ophelia asks, her voice lilting with sunshine now that her personal storm has cleared. The sweet melody soothes fragments of the tension in my chest.
“Your mom is going to take a ride to the doctor.” A furrowed brow clouds my scrutinizing gaze as I try to interpret how much she understands. She can’t even be three years old. I don’t want to scare her with too much detail, but I have no idea how she’s going to react to being with a stranger when her mom is wheeled away on a goddamn stretcher. She pats my chest.
“You go naked?”
I crack a smile. “You’re right. I need a shirt. Are you hungry?”
Ophelia nods solemnly with a pout of her lower lip.
“Let’s grab you a snack, and I can finish getting dressed.”
“Are you sure you’ve got her?” Caiti asks me as Nathan moves the gurney closer.
“We’ll be right behind you in a few minutes. But it’s probably better she doesn’t see any more of this. You can trust me.”
I let out a tight breath when she nods her agreement. The first easy surrender.
“See you soon, Ophelia. Be good for Dad—Dane.”
The slipup may go over the three-year-old’s head, but it sticks right in the middle of mine. Fuck. She practically admitted to it right here with my friends present.
Ophelia doesn’t verbally answer. She lays her head on my shoulder and waves.
I don’t linger any longer. Caiti is in the best hands with my friends. I push her into a box in my mind and focus on the hours ahead.
A clean shirt and morning hygiene for me.
A snack for Ophelia.
Call Duke to cover opening the bar at two.
Drive to the hospital, and on the way, phone The Legendary to let them know I won’t be in today. Mom never does well when I go off schedule, but what other choice do I have? This is my new reality, or at least I’ll fight like hell until it is. But how do I balance my responsibility to the person who raised me with the person I’m supposed to help raise?
