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It took a full minute for air to fill my chest and me to find the strength to move closer. I sensed other people in the room but could only see the woman who had given me life slowly having hers sucked away. Once beside the bed, I tentatively reached for her hand. I didn’t want to hurt her. There were so many wires and tubes sticking out of her that my stomach turned over.
“Mama,” I breathed, gently threading my fingers through hers. She stirred, and I felt guilty for waking her. Her skin was almost gray, with none of the vibrancy that usually colored it. She didn’t even look like herself. How was this the same woman who’d roused at me only days before? How was this the woman who’d forced countlessfamilyitems into my world a mere seventy-two hours ago? How? I wanted the woman I remembered taking us to the park and cooking our supper, the one who smiled when I walked into a room and screamed a curse word when I played a prank on her. This wasn’t her. It was my denial of her illness that had propelled me to take the actions I had. Now here it was, punching me in the face. It wouldn’t leave a broken nose or a black eye, but a hole in my chest that would never be filled.
I bent and kissed her forehead. “I love you,” I whispered. When was the last time I’d said that? What I was doing was always more important, and she’d accepted that without complaint, rarely nagging unless it had been too long since I’d come home for supper.
I’d robbed her—of money, of time. What if what I’d stolen could have helped her get the treatment to cure her? What if I’d killed her with my greed and quest for . . . what had I really been after anyway?
What the fuck had I done and why?
She squeezed my fingers, surprisingly stronger than I’d expected for her weakened state. I’d seen her only days ago. She’d looked a far cry better than this. Her eyes blinked open, though it seemed to take great effort. “Drew,” she said hoarsely, a weak smile on her lips. “Baby, stop worrying about me.”
My eyes flooded with tears. She was so fucking sick, but she still put me first. “Can’t help it, Mama.” I swallowed the lump that had thickened in my throat, determined not to let her see me weak. She needed my strength. “I thought you were getting better.” She opened her mouth to speak and nothing came out. I shook my head. “Don’t talk. You rest. Let me get you some water.”
She gave me a grateful smile when I picked up the cup on the bedside table and held the straw to her dry lips. I brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead once more. Her eyes drifted shut, but she clung to my hand as though she didn’t want me to go. A chair was pushed behind me, and I looked to see that Mulaney was the one who offered it. I ignored her and sat, positioned right next to Mama’s bedside so I could stay close.
My eyes adjusted to the dimness, and I glanced around the room. There was no sign of my father, which surprised and disappointed me. I couldn’t believe he’d leave her side but should have known he wouldn’t be there if I was.
The room was so still; even the machines Mama was hooked to were quiet. None of us spoke, though I had a lot of questions about what the hell had happened, including why the fuck hadn’t anybody told me my mother was in some sort of hospital? I tamped down my temper, not wanting to convey my feelings to Mama through our joined hands. She needed positivity. What was done was done. At least I was with her now.
“What ishedoing here?”my father growled when he returned a short time later. When he was stressed, he tended to get angrier.
I made no move other than to gently squeeze Mama’s hand. Her breathing was still even, her face peaceful, so he hadn’t disturbed her.
Easton jumped out of his chair, putting a hand on our father’s chest when he tried to approach. “I brought him here, Dad,” he said quietly. Our father blinked at him in confusion as if he couldn’t understand. I didn’t completely myself, but I was grateful, nonetheless. “He had a right to know.”
“The hell he did,” Dad said, barely keeping his voice down. “I want you out. Loretta doesn’t need your toxicity.”
“You should be thanking me,” I said, easing between Easton and Dad.
“I can’t begin to imagine why.” My father’s disgust for me radiated.
“Because I bought your company. Now you’re free to be here instead of trying to run an empire.”
Chapter Thirteen
Drew
Silence fell.
I smiled to myself. They’d found out so much, but judging by the look on my father’s face, they didn’t know that little nugget.
Dad gripped my shoulders. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Mostly you,” I said quietly out of respect for Mama. Easton stepped between the two of us. My father’s face was a dark red as if he were about to have a heart attack.
“Let’s go,” Easton said through his teeth, guiding me to the door.
This wasn’t the time or place. Mama needed rest. She needed calmness around her, not the tension from our family feud. Resigned, I retreated but not before kissing her cheek. “I won’t be far,” I promised, straightening.
“I warned you to stay away from her,” Dad said as I made for the exit.
I paused, keeping my voice deadly quiet. “And I’m warning you. You won’t keep me from my mother.” I strode into the hallway and stuck my head into a few doors, looking for somewhere to wait besides that lobby. So far, all I’d found was an examination room and a supply closet.
“This way,” Easton said from behind me, leading me to a room that had a bed, a sofa, a chair, and a television. The covers on the bed were wrinkled as if someone had been lying on top of them. “Mulaney convinced him to rest for a while, but you know how stubborn he can be.”
“What the fuck is going on? Why didn’t anyone tell me she was in the hospital? Or whatever this place is.” I gestured wildly, infuriated to have been left in the dark.
“She’s having an experimental procedure. The doctors said it would be rough, but if she makes it through, her chances of recovery are better than with only chemo or radiation.”
