I should have known I couldn’t count on you.
Don’t worry.I’ll take care of Nana.
There.That’s better.Giving him a piece of my mind was just what I needed.Kind of.Maybe.
Before I could second-guess myself, I pulled up his contact info, blocked his number, and shoved my phone back into my pocket.I doubted he’d message me back, but this way, I wouldn’t be constantly checking my phone to see if he had.
Okay, fine.I didn’t feel any better at all.Honestly, I felt like shit.
It sucked.
“Thank you for dinner.It was very good.I’m full.”
Carter pushed his plate away and leaned back in his chair, his little hands resting on his tiny belly.“Auntie MyMy, you make the best s’ghetti.”He leaned closer and whispered,“Mom always puts yucky vegetables.”
“Vegetables are good for you,” Andie sighed, ruffling his hair.“And it’s pronouncedspaghetti, buddy.Not s’ghetti.”
Nana smiled at him.“That’s okay, Liam.Sometimes I like to call it s’ghetti, too.”
My heart stopped.Did she just—no, she couldn’t have.Could she?
She blinked at me, her brows furrowing.For a second, panic flickered in her eyes.She knew she had said something wrong, but couldn’t quite work out what it was.
“Nana, that’s Carter, not Liam.”Shit.I shouldn’t correct her.The websites said that could make her more confused.
“Hmm?Oh, yes.Of course.You’re right.I’m sorry, Carter.”
It was a slip of the tongue, and not confusion.That was all it was, right?
“That’s okay, Nana,” he said before jumping off his chair.“Can I go play with Mr.Fluffy now?”
Greg stood, resting his hand on Carter’s head.“You sure can.Let’s go wash up first, though.We wouldn’t want spaghetti sauce on Mr.Fluffy’s white fur, would we?That would be awfully tricky to wash off.”
“Does Mr.Fluffy like baths?”Carter scrunched his face.“‘Cuz I hate baths.”
Greg laughed.“Mr.Fluffy doesn’t like baths all that much either.You guys have that in common.”
“And we both like beef jerky,” Carter said with a grin.“We have thatcommatoo.”
“In common, buddy.Notcomma.”
“Oh, right.In common,” Carter carefully enunciated the words, peering up at Greg for approval.My heart squeezed at the way his face lit up when Greg dipped his head, and I smiled as they made their way to the bathroom.
The warm feeling didn’t last, though.Nana’s pained expression when I turned back to her made sure of that.
“Nana?Is everything alright?”
She turned to me, concern lining her eyes.“What if it’s getting worse?”
Swallowing hard, I forced a smile.“You were just mixed up.It’s nothing to worry about.I’m sure it’s not the first time Carter’s been called by the wrong name.”
“I called him Mr.Fluffy earlier this afternoon,” Andie said, “and my dad runs through the names of at least half a dozen professional wrestlers before he ever manages to say Carter.”
Nana nodded, but her worried expression lingered.
Nana’s papery skin wrinkled under my fingers as I held her hand, fragile in a way that sent a ripple of anguish through my chest.Whether or not her memory was getting worse, I couldn’t deny how much she’d aged these last two years.She had dimmed somehow, become less vibrant than she used to be.
Nope, I refused to think about that right now.Shoving the thought aside, I smiled at Nana.“Why don’t we read for a while?”I suggested.“Andie can take Carter home to bed, and you and I can read together.We haven’t done that in a while.Doesn’t it sound nice?”
