Worry coils through me as the elevator carries me upward.I pull my phone out of my pocket and sigh.
The security system still hasn’t sent an alert to the penthouse of an impending visitor like it’s supposed to.
I step out into the receiving area and stride past the couches to the front door.After unlocking and opening it, I sigh and stop in front of the security system panel.
Music plays down the hall from my mother’s studio, but the living room and kitchen are empty.
“Ma!Nana!Are you home?”I call out.
Movement precedes my mother’s head peeking out from the last room on the right.
“Sebastian!You’re back early.We weren’t expecting you for a few more hours.Is everything okay?”
Suspicion roars through me when she lingers in the doorway instead of starting down the hall toward me.
“Everything would be fine if this thing worked like it’s supposed to.Did your phone chime with a notification?”
“Oh, it um… might have made a noise.”
When she doesn’t offer more information, I sigh, turn the panel screen off, and step deeper into the apartment.
“Ma—”
“Don’t you take another step, young man,” she warns.
I freeze.
She hasn’t used that tone of voice with me in ages.
“Nana is in the garden.She said something about the sunset.Go enjoy it with her while I clean up,” she instructs.
I hold up the bags and angle the label of her favorite shop toward her.
“Is that any way to treat the son who brought you a surprise, Ma?”I tease.
Her eyes widen in delight.
“Are those—”
“Your favorite,” I agree.
“I don’t deserve you, Sebastian.Head on up to the garden.I’ll be right there,” she says.
I try to hide my smirk until I turn the corner and walk out of sight, but her chuckle assures me I failed.Glowing from her praise, I skirt around the sewing tables in the living room and past the entertainment system to the propped-open back door.I step into the short hall shared by the main suite and the smaller apartment where I live.Instead of recalling the elevator—which only moves between the top floor and the private rooftop—I take the single set of stairs and shoulder through the metal door at the top of the landing.
Concern spears through me and I bite back a curse before setting the bags on the table and rushing forward to take the potted plant from weathered hands.
“Nana, you shouldn’t be lifting something so heavy.”
“Don’t scold me, boy.I know what my body is capable of.What am I supposed to do, wait until you come home?”
“No, Nana, you’re supposed to call me.I’ll drop everything and—”
“Which is precisely why I don’t.You’re busy enough as it is.I can’t distract you from becoming successful.”
“First off, I’m plenty successful already.Secondly, where do you want this?”I ask while hefting the plant.
She gestures to the far corner of the patio.I dare a disapproving glance at her before following her directions.
