“How can it not be? If my parents hadn’t turned their back on her, she might still be here.”
He shakes his head. “Do you know how many parents I’ve had to counsel and encourage to let their son or daughter go? It’s never an easy thing to do. I don’t care who the parent is or how good a parent they were while raising them. They always feel responsible. But it’s not that simple. I’ve seen people with the worst parents you could think of recover, while others with the parents who gave them everything from love and affection to the best opportunities in life, end up in their grave from their addiction.”
“I don’t understand,” I say, running my hand through my hair. There was a part of me that always questioned how my mother and father handled things with Dierdre. The reason she was staying with me in her last weeks of life was because they refused to let her move back home even though she had no other place to go.
“Trust me. It’s taken years for me to get this far in understanding. Relationships are complicated as hell, especially between a parent and child.”
I start to say something else but Neil’s phone rings. Frowning, I glance at the time on the clock on his nightstand, noting that it’s almost three in the morning. Even more surprising, Neil answers.
“Shane? What is it?”
There’s a worried note in his tone of voice, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.
“Where are you?” He pauses, waiting for a response. “Shit. Give me the address,” he demands.
I watch wordlessly as Neil climbs out of bed and heads directly to his dresser, pulling it open. While still on the phone, he begins dressing in a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeve shirt.
“No, don’t hang up. Stay on the phone with me,” he orders in a tone that brokers no argument.
Finally, Neil removes the phone from his ear as he turns to me. He gives me a regretful look.
“Where’re you going?”
“This is my … sponsee. He needs help.”
I nod and envision all types of things that could be going on with this Shane person. I know about anonymity and all of that, so it’s unlikely that Neil will give me more details.
“I have to go help him,” he says. In his gaze, there’s a look, as if he’s begging me to understand. To not be offended that he has to leave the bed we’re sharing at an ungodly time of night to help someone.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. I promise.” He kisses my forehead.
“Be safe,” I say, feeling a little afraid to watch him go out the door in the middle of the night. Still, there’s something that tells me he needs to do this. I don’t even think of telling him to stay, to remain with me throughout the night, even though that’s what I want.
Minutes go by, and I hear the front door of Neil’s condo close. A coldness envelops me as I feel the loss of his presence. As time ticks by, my mind begins to swirl with thoughts. The assuredness I felt earlier loosens its hold on me. I start to wonder if he’s lying.
Deirdre used to lie and tell me she was attending meetings or working with her sponsor, only for me to find out later it was all a lie. I fight to dismiss the thought. Neil isn’t my sister and has never given me any reason to doubt him.
Chapter 10
“There’s that nervous look again,” I tease as I climb into the car behind the wheel with Desiree in the passenger seat.
“I gotta have a better poker face.” She sighs.
I lean over, taking her chin into my hand and pressing a kiss to her glossy lips. “You don’t ever need to have a poker face with me. What’s up?” My hand still cups her chin.
“This is a big deal. You’re not nervous?”
I shake my head. “Parents love me. Plus, I have the advantage of already having met your parents.”
She frowns. “Under not so great circumstances.”
“True, but these are better conditions. You were nervous about meeting my parents, and they loved you from the beginning. Last night my mother practically drooled over the peach cobbler and homemade vanilla bean ice cream you brought for dessert.”
She blinks and smiles. “You sure she wasn’t just being nice?”
I shake my head. “My mother doesn’t play when it comes to her sweet tooth. She called me this morning before their flight to ask me if you were thinking about selling that cobbler once you open your bakery.”
She gasps. “You told her about my bakery?”
