“They might need us—”
“Didn’t lock the door, baby. They need us, they know where to find us.”
We showered separately and met in the center of the bed half an hour later. We’d tag-teamed at the hospital, switching between the kids’ rooms, and it felt like I’d barely touched Teddy since it all began. Wrapping my arm around her, I pressed my body into hers, finally relaxing as the sensation sank in. I never wanted to go so long without connecting with her again.
I listened as her breathing finally evened out, and then longer to make sure the kids didn’t wake up in the night, but eventually, I drifted off with the knowledge that after everything that had happened, all was nearly right with the world again.
I wouldn’t find out until two weeks later how wrong I was.
Chapter 20
Teddy
It was time.
I set my packed bag on the bed and looked around the room. Jesse’s painting hung over the headboard, and my umbrella ring holder still sat on the nightstand, but I’d packed the photo frames from the dresser. I’d been thinking for days about the things I was willing to leave behind, and though it killed me to do it, I figured eventually Curt could send the rest of it to us. By the time we landed somewhere, hopefully he wouldn’t be angry anymore.
Leaving the bag behind, I walked to Finn’s room. It was early, and he was still sleeping on Jesse’s floor every night, so it was quiet as I grabbed his bag out of the closet and packed a variety of clothes he might need. I wasn’t sure where we would be in the end, but first we were going north, and with summer sliding into fall, I knew he’d need some pants and sweatshirts. When I was done, I carried the bag into my room and set it next to mine on the bed.
I quietly went to the kids’ bathroom next and packed their toothbrushes. In the bonus room, I grabbed our throw off the couch. Downstairs, I got a couple of paper grocery bags and grabbed three more picture frames that had migrated down there somehow and carried them all upstairs.
When I was done, I took a deep breath and went into Jesse’s room.
They were sleeping on the bed on their good side, their no longer swollen face highlighted by the soft light coming throughthe blinds. They looked so much better, and I would never say a word, but there was something different about their face now. It was as if the doctors had taken it apart and put it back by memory, but they’d missed something. I couldn’t figure out what it was.
Finn was on the floor, also curled up on his side. His sleeping bag was pulled up so far that only the top half of his face was showing. The days of sleeping with his arms flung wide were gone. He was closed off now. Kind and considerate as always, but careful. Watchful.
“Hey, guys,” I said, closing the door behind me. “Time to wake up.”
“Mom?” Finn asked, pulling down the sleeping bag to look at me.
“What time is it?” Jesse asked blearily.
“Early,” I replied, moving to where they’d propped their bag against their dresser. Their backpack sat next to it, full of school supplies, and I made a mental note to grab it and Finn’s too before we left. “Come on. Time to get up.”
“What’s going on?” Jess asked, sitting up in bed.
“Moving day,” I replied with a smile, my guts clenching.
“Where are we moving?” Finn asked in confusion.
“Not sure yet,” I replied, setting Jesse’s bag on the end of the bed. “Figured we could move around for a while until we find a place we like.”
“Is Dylan coming?” Finn asked.
“No,” Jesse replied before I could, understanding dawning. “No, bud. It’s just us.”
“What? No. Dylan will be sad without us.”
“It’ll be good,” I replied, walking to the closet so I could grab a couple of Jesse’s sweatshirts. “You could call Dyl. Whenever you want, okay?”
“Mom,” Jesse called in a tone I couldn’t quite identify.
“It’ll be good,” I said quickly as I stuffed their sweatshirts into their bag. “You need to bring some long pants, okay? It’s almost fall, and it’s going to start getting colder, especially at night.”
“Go to the bathroom, Finn,” Jesse ordered, their eyes still on me.
“I don’t have to.”
