“Stella?” Mom whispered. “Where’s Stella?”
“It’s just me, Mama. Jasper.” I walked to her bed and took her hand.
“Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital. You had a stroke.”
She frowned. “How can I have a stroke? I’m only fifty-six.”
“It happens like that sometimes.”
“Is my face droopy?”
“Nope. You look just as beautiful as always.”
She smiled. “You always were a charmer.”
“You raised me.”
“That’s true. Did I do okay?”
“You did great, Mama,” I assured her.
“Are you happy?”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“I need you to be happy, Jassy.”
“I’m workin’ on it, Mama. Promise.”
“Where’s Stella?”
“She died, Mama.”
“What? When?” she demanded.
I filled her in on everything that happened, and she fell apart as I held her. Luckily, she fell asleep again easing her into oblivion. I checked her pulse just to make sure she was still with me, then tucked the blankets around her and stroked her cheek. Jesus, I couldn’t lose her too. I needed to figure out how to pull my head out of my ass and move through all this shit. I needed my mom again.
* * *
Violet
Hatch drove me backto his house. A gorgeous pacific northwest suburban dream home complete with daylight basement.
Maisie pulled me in for a motherly hug, then showed me to the guest room and insisted I take some time for myself. I showered, then grabbed my phone and texted Aero before falling into the queen-sized bed and drifting off to oblivion.
I didn’t wake for close to four hours and reluctantly climbed out of bed wishing I could crawl back in it with Aero.
I checked my phone and saw that Aero had sent me a couple of texts. Nothing I needed to respond to, but I did anyway, and he called immediately.
“Hi,” I breathed out, leaning back on the pillows. “How’s your mom?”
“She’s good, actually. The doctor thinks she’ll be able to go home in a few days.”
“That’s great. Do they know what happened?”
“Definitely a stroke, but minor, apparently. She should make a full recovery, but her memory’s gonna be spotty for a little while.”
