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I clear my throat and push away from the railing. “Why don’t you finish getting ready and meet me downstairs? We can have a quick breakfast. Then I’d like to visit my dad. Check in and see how he’s doing today.”
“Of course. I’ll get ready.” She walks past me and into the room. I allow Betsy to follow then walk over to the pullout couch and dig through my bag beside it. With an armful of clean clothes, I make my way to the hall.
“Meet you downstairs,” I mutter then leave to dress.
Fresh coffee awaits when I enter the kitchen. Mom fries some eggs at the stove. On my way to grab a mug, I stop and plant a kiss on her cheek. “Morning, Mom, sleep well?”
“As good as I can with your father not here.” She sighs, and I don’t miss the tiredness in her tone.
“Have you checked in yet today? I’m thinking about heading over there after breakfast.”
“I called this morning. He had a good night. They’re going to move him out of the CICU and into a private room. Hopefully, he’ll come home within another day or two.”
I pop a piece of bacon into my mouth and smile while chewing. “Sounds promising. Let me know if you need anything. Doe and I will stick around until then, and we’re happy to help.”
At the mention of Doe, Mom turns around and pins me with sympathetic eyes. “You and that girl will not be helping. Take her out. Go on a walk down the boardwalk. Get some fresh air.”
“It’s fine, Mom, really. We spend a lot of time together back home. We can put that aside for a few days to help. Just until Dad is out of the hospital.”
With precision, she sets down the spatula in her hand and turns down the heat on the stove. Her gaze intensifies with what she says next. “Whatever it is that girl went through was the purest form of hell. I’ve seen up close the scars on her face and arms; I can only imagine what the rest of her looks like. She doesn’t need to be dragged down here by you to help some strangers she doesn’t even know. What she needs is you to show her life is worth living.”
“Mom,” I croak, overcome with several emotions at once. “It’s not like that.”
“It might not be. You may be nothing more to her than the detective who helped get her on her feet. But if you’re investing so much time to give her a place to stay, then you need to go all the way. Don’t half ass it. Don’t wait for someone else to come along and make her their problem.”
Reaching back, I scrub the back of my neck. “Why are you saying this?”
She grabs my elbow and pulls my hand away from my head. Her fingers squeeze mine. “Because I’ve seen the way she watches your every move; as if you step out of her sight, she’ll die. Because I’ve seen the fear up close. That even if she means nothing to you, you’ve come to mean everything to her. And you might not realize it, but you’re in the perfect position to show her how good life can be. She’s come from a hellish place. Now she needs to experience heaven.”
“I don’t think I have that in me,” I mutter, glancing away from Mom’s piercing eyes.
“It’s been a long time,” she starts, seemingly off topic, “but you aren’t the empty shell you think you are.”
A shiver runs down my spine. I want to tell her that’s exactly what I am, but I know I’ll get nowhere with her. She’s a tough, strong force of a woman. We’d spend hours arguing in circles if I said that.
Thankfully, Doe quietly enters the room and breaks the moment. If I hadn’t already been looking in that direction, I wouldn’t have even heard her. She takes in Mom and me and asks timidly, “C-can I help?”
Mom shoots me one last arched eyebrow that says “listen to me” before clearing her face with a welcoming smile. “No, but you can eat some of this food I made. Sit down and Niko will grab you a plate.”
After setting up Doe, I grab my own plate of food and take a seat. Breakfast is quiet. Mom makes polite conversation with Doe, but I’m lost in my own thoughts. Once my plate is empty, I rinse it, load it in the dishwasher, and suck down the remainder of my coffee.
“I’m going to swing by the hospital before going down to the beach. Doe, would you like to join me?”
I try to avoid eye contact with Mom, knowing the triumphant look I’d find there.
Doe’s eyes are wide at me over the top of her glass as she chugs her orange juice. Damn, I didn’t mean to rush her. I’m just ready as fuck to get out of here for a while and away from Mom’s prying.
Doe’s chair scrapes across the floor as she stands and hurries over to the sink. “One second and I’ll rinse these.”
I step in front of her trajectory. “I’ve got them,” I murmur, sliding the dirty plate and glass from her hands. “Get your shoes.”
She hurries from the room, only to stop in the doorway to the kitchen. She turns back to Mom. “Thank you for breakfast,” she says hurriedly then hastens from the room.
“I think—”
“Quiet.”
“Niko, I just—”
