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“I wish she had come. I’ve heard a bit of that child’s story.” His mother wasn’t one to look sad very often. Trenton paused with his hands still in the running water.
“You mean back when we were kids?” He hadn’t asked Celia much, sensing it wasn’t an easy topic for her to talk about. Even her admitting that she had wanted to get a degree, but it was a financial impossibility, had made his chest ache, even more than her reaction to him tending to her skinned knees.
“I only found out about her situation after the fact,” his mom said.
His father crossed to her, pulling her into his arms. “There was nothing you could have done from a hospital bed. You were fighting your own battle.”
Trenton remembered those days well. When Emily had been in the hospital more and more, he’d had to face his dread of the space. His mother had recovered. It had been hard to accept that his wife would not, and up until she was moved to hospice, he had still held out hope.
His mom frowned. “That doesn’t make it fine. All children should be protected.”
“Even the Griffins didn’t know what was happening.” His father’s arms tightened around his mom. “Not until that little girl was in the hospital.”
Trenton turned off the sink. “Wait, the hospital?”
His father nodded. “She was brought in around the same time as your mother, back when she had to stay for a stint.” He shook his head at his wife. “Even going through what you were, you made me go check in on the Griffins. It was shocking, what that girl’s mother did to her.”
Trenton’s legs weakened, and he leaned against the sink. “I had no idea.” He thought about her moments in the dark, her having trouble sleeping, and his eyes shut.
“Well, why would you?” his mother said, coming over to put her hand on his shoulder. “You were busy taking care of your sisters for us. Besides, if I hadn’t gotten sick, you would have already been off to college.”
“Still, Malcolm didn’t say anything.” His friend had always been closed-lipped when it came to his cousin. Trenton had respected that, assuming it was hard on him, since he obviously cared for her.
That was why he didn’t know how to tell Malcolm about what had happened between them. A lump grew in the pit of his stomach. Apparently, he knew very little about the woman he was sleeping with. He winced at the thought.
“Your friend was very shaken up at the time,” his father said. “It must have been a hard thing, stepping in for her like that.”
Trenton hesitated, but couldn’t keep the words in. “What happened to her?”
When his father opened his mouth to answer, his mom raised her hand to stop him. “Trenton, honey, you were going to bring her here today. That must mean you’re growing close to her. Don’t you think you should ask her yourself?”
“Wait, you like Celia?” Rachel asked from the door, bouncing her toddler on her hip. “I mean,likelike her?”
Trenton winced. “It’s not like that. I’m just helping her out right now.” Trenton’s neck heated as he remembered how he had helped her the night before. He cursed himself, knowing his mom was too sharp not to notice.
His father patted his shoulder. “That’s a good thing.”
“Yeah, and you’ve poked your nose into our business often enough,” Rachel said, rolling her eyes. “It must be familiar for you. Like having a fifth sister.”
His mom didn’t smile, her too perceptive eyes studying his.
Trenton shifted his feet. The picture of a broken Celia in a hospital bed wavered in his mind.
“Your dad and I can finish up here,” his mom said, nudging him away from the sink. “You should take Rachel and her kids home.”
“I’ll track down my wild one,” Rachel said, turning back to the living room with her daughter.
Trenton frowned at his mom. “I know what you’re trying to do, but it’s not like that.” His heart pounded harder in his chest. “You know I love Emily.”
“I’m not trying to do anything,” his mom said. “But don’t you want to go talk to your friend?”
He couldn’t deny the words. Searching his mom’s face, he leaned down to kiss her cheek again. “I do. Thanks, Mom.” Then he went to help Rachel gather her children. There was absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to check in on his friend, he told himself, giving in to the building urgency to talk to Celia again.
Chapter 27
Celiafidgetedinfrontof the center, waiting for Malcolm to show up.
After failing to catch up to Jami, she’d sat on the bench in the garden, and thought about the person who had first reached out to her. Before she’d fully thought it through, she’d dialed Malcolm.
