“How long before you think the doctor might give him the all clear on his arm?” Maureen continued.
“It’ll take some time, Maureen. It won’t happen overnight. If he pushes too hard, he could cause more damage, and we don’t want that,” Lana sighed, hoping she got the hint to give it a rest already.
Maureen’s face flushed a little, and she straightened her posture.
“I understand. I just want to make sure everything that can be done is getting done. You can understand that, right, Lana? Obviously, you want the best for him, too?” she replied.
“I do, Maureen,” Lana quipped.
Kayden turned and positioned his wheelchair in front of her and placed his hand on her stomach.
“How’s my little boy doing?” he broke in, changing the subject.
Lana smiled and covered his hand with hers. It made her happy to see how excited he was about the new life they made together. The light in his eyes when he brought up the baby seemed to lift his darkest of days—pure joy.
“She’sfine,” Lana teased.
Maureen smiled too, admiring them both, and Lana caught a look on her face. It flashed quickly, and if you blinked, you’d have never seen it.Was it worry? Regret? Guilt?
“Well, I’d better be on my way. Lots to do,” she announced, slipping into her coat.
“Where are you headed?” Kayden asked as she picked up her Hermes Birkin bag.
“Heathcliff and I have a lunch date, then, I have to get the retainer to the lawyers for the case against Kim, and of course, check that the contractors at your new estate are doing their jobs,” she informed. “A mother’s work is never done. You’ll see.”
She winked at Lana as she threw her pashmina over her shoulder and stalked down the hallway to the front door. Kayden rolled his eyes after the thud of the front door closed behind her. He turned to Theo next.
“I apologize about my mother,” he said, as Theo continued packing up his bag.
“I appreciate that, but perhaps we should schedule your therapy at times when you don’t have as many distractions?” he replied, hefting the bag off the floor.
“Understood,” Kayden replied.
Lana grabbed one of her crutches, balanced on her leg, then walked Theo to the front door.
“Drive safe,” she called out, as he trotted down the stairs towards his rental.
When she hopped back into the living room again, she was stunned to find Kayden trying to stand on his feet with the help of her other crutch!
“Are you kidding me! What are you doing?!” she shrieked.
It was way too early for him to attempt something like that with a barely healed hip, a broken leg, and a maimed arm.
“It’s getting better,” he gasped, as beads of sweat soaked his forehead. His breathing was labored, and Lana hopped over to him as fast as she could and grabbed his arm.
“Sit down, Kayden, before you hurt yourself !”
He looked down at her worried face, then dropped his head. It was useless to fight, and he had started feeling dizzy anyway. Slowly, he eased himself down, with her help, back into the chair. He let out a big breath and a sheepish grin.
“See, good as new,” he joked, but Lana wasn’t laughing.
They used to be broken people for very different reasons, and now, because of Kim, they were both literally broken, and it enraged her. Every time she looked at his battered body or put too much weight on her ankle, she wanted to yank all her hair out again. She eased herself down on the couch, and he positioned his wheelchair to face her.
“She’s gonna pay for this,” Lana declared.
She hated that anyone, especially Kim, had made them victims.
“Justice will prevail, don’t you worry about her. What you need to be concerned with is staying stress-free for the baby’s sake,” he reasoned in his cool and calm voice.
