He debated not picking up, but there was no one more tenacious than his mother. She seemed to have a sixth sense when either of her children were struggling with something. “Hey, Ma.”
“Please don’t tell me you were sleeping,” his mom said disapprovingly. He could imagine her sitting at her kitchen table, a worried frown creasing her otherwise-still-smooth forehead, black hair braided on top of her head.
He hated worrying Sonya Hunter. “Of course not.”
His mother scoffed. “I know the sound of my son when he’s hungover.”
Was she psychic? Orange juice and a greasy breakfast and lunch had killed most of his headache, but he was indeed hungover. “You’ve been living in too many big cities. How wild do you think Rockville gets?”
Sonya snorted. “I know how wild you can get.”
His smile was reluctant, but genuine. “I’m a choirboy.”
“Let’s not risk the Lord striking you down right now.”
“How’s Chuck?” he said, changing the subject. Chuck was his mother’s new... he wasn’t sure what the word was.Boyfriendseemed odd, given the fact that this was his mom, and he wasn’t about to call the man her lover. They’d been together for a couple of years now, both eager to go explore the world.
Her tone softened. “Chuck’s fine. We had a lovely night out last night.”
“That’s good.”
“I’m excited to see you next weekend.”
“I’m excited to see you too.” He tried to inject extra enthusiasm into his voice, but he didn’t think he succeeded. Hewasexcited to see his mom, as well as his sister, who he barely got to hang out with anymore with her living all the way across the country in California.
His mother’s voice lowered. “Are you at the house yet?”
“Yes. Just got here.”
“I think this week will be good for you,” Sonya said gently.
He shifted. Psychic, indeed. “So you’ve said.”
“I know Livvy and Jackson aren’t Paul, but you should forge a relationship with them anyway. They’re—”
“Ma.” He ran his hand over his face, feeling every inch of his thirty-five years, the scrape of pain at Paul’s name far too raw. Every day he missed his best friend. Missed and cursed him for dying so young, alone on that hiking trail. Why the man hadn’t asked him for company, he’d never know. “I’m trying. I’m here,” he said
His mother was silent for a beat. “You could maybe tell them—”
His eyelid twitched. “I should go.”
“Okay, okay. I won’t say anything more. Don’t run.”
“I’m not running.”
“I know you, Gabe. You run when anyone gets too close.”
His stomach tensed. What an unflattering view of him. “No, I don’t.”
“Other than me and Rhi, who are you close to?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it again. “Lots of people,” he said.
“No. You only reached that level of closeness with Paul.” She dropped her voice even lower. “And even he didn’t know everything about you.”
“He couldn’t,” he said harshly. “You know why he couldn’t.”
“He could, baby.” His mother’s tone was soothing, like she was speaking to a child. “That secret doesn’t need to be kept any longer.”
