Page 116 of Goode Tidings

He takes a step away, grinning. "Seriously, though. Do you like him? Callum? He went apeshit on Justin."

"Justin was being rude, and he was about to be even more disrespectful to me."

"I'm not saying it wasn't deserved." He shrugs as we round the corner and get closer to the nurses station. "There was a time when I lost it on Paisley's ex when he was speaking impolitely about her. You know why?"

I pause and look at him, waiting.

"Because I liked her."

"I know Callum likes me."

"No." Klein shakes his head. "Because I liked her. I wanted to be her protector. Her defender. I wanted to be her everything."

I'm not here to be anything less than serious about you. If I'm in, I'm in. There is no halfway with me. Was it really only this morning that Callum spoke those words to me? It feels like days have passed since he woke me up with his mouth on my body, and lovely words on his lips.

"He's serious about me. About Oliver."

Klein nods. "I'm still going to tell him I'll kick his ass if he mistreats you."

I smirk, eyebrow quirked.

"Me, and Dom," Klein amends. "Can't leave him out of the fun."

I grin knowingly. "Right, of course."

The nurse sees us and sends a wave. "Everything's looking good. We'll monitor him for a little while longer and get him moved to Phase II recovery."

"Thank you," I say, even though I don't know what Phase II recovery means.

Klein must not either, because he's already on his phone looking it up. "It's a step-down area from the post-anesthesia care unit where patients are more awake and preparing to go home." He puts his phone away. "Knowing that, I'm going out to the waiting room. Please come let everyone know when we can see Oliver."

He walks away. I'm not ready to go back into Oliver's bay yet. I'm still smarting from Justin's comments. His insinuation that Oliver's illness was somehow my fault. That I'm a bad mom for allowing him to go on the school trip.

I lean against a wall, tipping my head up to the ceiling and taking a deep breath. The phone in my pocket buzzes. It's a text from Callum.

I ordered lunch for you. It'll be delivered in five minutes. You can eat it whenever, just wanted you to know there's food waiting for you if you're hungry.

I read the message a second time. Callum, once again, shows up. Quietly cares for me. I'm used to being the caretaker, not being cared for. The feelings it releases in me are overwhelming, but in a good way. I can keep going, because I have someone helping to hold me up. I don't have to do it entirely on my own. It feels unbelievably good to know I have Callum by my side.

I walk over to where Oliver is, pausing outside the curtain. Justin and Oliver's voices float through the plastic-y fabric, muffled. I continue on, until I'm walking out of the recovery area and back out into the waiting room. Now that I know food is on the way, I'm suddenly famished.

Callum is the first person I see. He spots me the second I walk through, because his eyes are fixed on the door. He stands. Strides across the room.

His eyes are a well of concern for me, and for my child.

And that warmth in his eyes, that tenderness? It does something to me. Breaks me open, heart exposed.

I step into Callum and throw my arms around his neck. His arms envelop my back, and I breathe my first sigh of relief since this morning's phone call.

CHAPTER 52

Eden

My mother arrives from Tucson carrying a die-cast Lamborghini and a pack of trick playing cards.

Her hair falls from her French twist, and her mascara is slightly smeared under her lower lash line. "I got here as fast as I could, except for one detour to buy weird toys."

As long as I can remember my mother has picked up silly gifts for Oliver.