"Thank you, son."He’s not your son. "If these two give you any trouble, you need to let me know, okay?"
Brett scoffs and dips his hands into his coat pockets. "Oh, we’ll all be just fine." Brett looks over at me and raises his brows. "Right?"
"Yeah, everything is under control," I reply, sounding robotic.
"Thanks for bringing us food," Journey offers.
"Yes, thank you," Mom repeats.
"Of course. Is there anything else I can do to help you guys out right now?"
"Where’s your daughter?" I ask. Shouldn’t he be taking care of her?
"You have a daughter?" Mom asks with a sound of surprise.
"I told you about this incredible guy right here," Dad tells Mom.Incredible guy?
"Yes, ma’am. She’s seven, but my mom is probably feeding her millions of cookies as we speak, so she’s perfectly fine. I just won’t get her to fall asleep tonight, but help is help, right?"
"One of us needs to go home and let the dog out," Mom says as if Brett’s offer made her remember we left the world behind today.
"I’ll go," I volunteer.
"I can go let the dog out if you’d like. It’s no problem," Brett offers.
"You are too sweet," Mom tells him.
"That’s okay, I can rush home and take care of him," I follow.
"He’s offering," Mom argues.
"He’s already doing enough," I respond, standing to make my point.
"Brett, don’t forget to bottle up the Quinn Pine next week," Dad utters through a half-lidded stare.
Brett steps forward and places his hand on Dad’s arm. "I would never forget something so important."
He would never forget something so important. Wow.
"I’m running home to let Benji out. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I tell them, giving Dad a kiss on the cheek before I brush past Brett.
"Do you need a car, maybe?" Journey asks.
Right. "Yeah, uh—" Journey tosses her keys over to me. "Thanks."
I leave the kiss-butt fest behind, feeling an abundance of emotions at once as I circle around the floor searching for the elevators. I call it a win after walking the entire floor only once. Then there’s an additional win when I find the elevator to be empty.
Brett’s hand prevents the doors from closing, and me from being alone between these metal walls. I hit the lobby button and lean back against the wall-railing.
The elevatorwasempty.
"I’m sorry if I overstepped my bounds. I figured you were hungry. I know hospital food isn’t great."
"You didn’t overstep," I say, my words sounding cold and emotionless. "Thank you for thinking of us."
"I know this isn’t the best time to ask, but did I make you mad? I wouldn’t want to be the source of added stress."
"Nope.”
