“I’m back home for good.”
“You’re…” Mom blinks at me, clearly surprised by the news. Tears gather in her eyes again as a beaming smile spreads over her lips. “That’s amazing news. All my babies back home at last.”
A knot forms in my throat at the wistful note in her voice.
Somehow, her excitement at this news hurts even more than her rejection would have. I left without a word, without a call or an explanation, and yet she opened her arms to me the moment I stepped back into this town, welcoming me home. After everything I’ve done. Everything I’ve cost her.
I swallow hard, my fingers digging into my skin until I feel a bite of pain, which reminds me I’m still holding the flowers.
“I got you these,” I croak out, grateful for an excuse to change the subject. “Where do you want me to put them?”
“I can put them away for you, Mrs. Williams,” Jessica volunteers immediately.
She jumps to her feet but miscalculates the distance between us, and I can hear her sharp intake of breath when her body brushes against mine in the process. Her head tilts back, our eyes meeting. She’s standing so close I can see different shades of gold specks dancing in her brown irises. They’re pulling me in, shimmery and enchanting, just like the woman in front of me.
I might still be right where you left me, but I’m not the girl I used to be.
The words she said the other day echo in my head as we stand frozen in time. I haven’t stopped thinking about them, about her, since she left that damn party, the past and present mixingtogether in my mind, no matter how much I’ve tried to push her out.
And now she’s here.
Destiny sure has a twisted sense of humor.
I’m not sure how long we stay like this—a few heartbeats or a lifetime—while my heart thunders inside my chest, until Jessica takes a step back, breaking our contact.
“Umm…” She clears her throat, ducks her head, her fingers wrapping around the flowers, making sure not to brush against mine as she slips past me. “The vase is right there.”
My gaze is still locked on her as she moves toward the side table and grabs a vase before slipping into the bathroom where I can hear the faucet running.
“Why did you decide to come back?” Mom’s question snaps me out of my thoughts.
“I got a job here.” Slowly, I shift my attention to her. “I finished the police academy.”
That little frown between her brows deepens as her mind works, and I hold my breath as I wait for her reaction. I remember clearly how it used to be in those last few years before I left, although it started way before that. The forgetfulness. First, it was little things, then it was big things. The annoyance when anybody tried to tell her she was wrong or correct her. Her deep scowl as her mind tried to process everything that was going on. I’d seen it so many times during my teenage years, it’s still engraved into my memory.
At first, I thought she hated me for everything that had happened, the role I played in my father’s death, but later on, after she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, I realized it’s just the way she is now. The guilt I felt only intensified after that. What if it was my fault that she got this way? The stress of losing the only man she ever loved, having to raise three children all on her own.
“Mrs. Williams?” Jessica gently places her hand on my mom’s elbow, drawing her attention. I’m so out of it, I didn’t even notice when she returned to the room. “These are beautiful, right?”
Mom’s head snaps up, some of that haziness fading. A small smile plays on her lips as she leans down and smells the flowers. “They’re really beautiful. Thank you, Matthew.” She returns her attention to me. “I’m sorry about that. Everything gets a little bit hazy these days. But I have a feeling Becky mentioned you going to the academy.”
“Probably.” I eye her carefully, afraid that faraway look will come back. “She wasn’t really happy about that.”
Mom chuckles. “I’m not sure why. I can’t say I’m surprised. You always needed to help people, to save them. They’re lucky to have you.”
Her praise has me shifting in my seat. How can she, of all people, look at me like some hero when, in reality, that can’t be further from the truth?
I’m nobody’s savior.
“I don’t know about that.”
“Well, I do. Jessica is the same way.” Mom places her hand over Jessica’s, giving it a little pat. “Jessica’s a nurse, and she volunteers here. She likes to keep me company. Don’t tell anybody, but she might be my favorite here.”
My gaze shifts to the woman in question to find her blushing slightly at my mother’s compliment. No, it doesn’t surprise me in the least that she’s my mom’s favorite. Jessica has always had a kind heart, even when we were younger. After all, she took a chance on me as well.
And then you went and messed it all up.
Pushing the dark thoughts to the back of my mind, I quirk a brow. “Picking favorites, Mom? Didn’t you always insist you loved everybody the same?”
