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Walking into Mom’s house, I was grateful to see the evening aid, Sandy, there. She was tidying up the living room when I walked in.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Finch. You mom is out back.”

“Thanks, Sandy. Is she doing okay today?” I asked. It was a hard question, but it would be easier if I knew what I was walking into, as opposed to facing the woman I loved more than everyone else looking at me with fear and no recognition.

“It’s been a good day. She was talking about you earlier,” Sandra told me with an understanding smile. I nodded before heading to the backyard.

“Eliot! I didn’t know you were coming by.” Mom greeted me, her dirt-stained hands leaving smudges on her pants and face. She adored the garden, loved getting her hands into the soil.

“There’s no better way to feel tied to the earth than to work with it. Appreciate how much is happening around us that we can’t see or sense. How much growth and change is occurring right under our feet,” she would tell me as a little kid, as she pointed out which weeds she wanted me to pull.

“Just wanted to say hi,” I told her, pressing a kiss to her cheek before plopping down on the grass next to her. “The hydrangeas look good. You were worried for no reason.” I had helped her lay out the garden, recruiting Bull and Match to put in the new lifted garden bed she was using. Her old one kept getting eaten by rabbits and squirrels.

“They are coming in nicely, aren’t they!? I’ve got to talk Lilah into letting me back into her garden. It’s a marvelous little spot with so much potential,” she said. I smiled.

“Have you asked her? She may need permission to do anything in the backyard if she doesn’t own the house.” I wasn’t sure what rules landlords had in those days. Having lived at the clubhouse for fifteen years and having bought Mom’s house outright, I’d never really dealt with a landlord or super.

“Oh, fooey. A garden cheers everyone up. She would be doing the landlord a favor. Not that the girl needs any more projects on her hands. Working herself into the ground as it is,” Ma muttered, a fierce look on her face.

“So you guys are getting along? Are you still doing your craft parties?” I asked…as if I hadn’t been watching the surveillance videos, inhaling every image of Lilah as if it were oxygen. Mom shot me a look—the kind that meant she knew I was lying. Feeling like a kid who had stolen a beer, I avoided eye contact.

“Why don’t you come by the next time she’s over and ask for yourself? Or did you think you could make conversation through a security system?” Mom never did pull her punches.

“Just happy that you’re happy, Mom. Come on. Let’s go inside and figure out dinner.”

“Who invited you?” she asked with mock offense.

“So you don’t want me to order from Rosa’s?” It was her favorite spot. We went there or ordered in at least once a week.

“You play dirty, but I’ll take it.” By the time the food got there, Sandy had gone upstairs. I now had one of two aids at the house with Mom at all times—a day nurse and a night nurse. The night nurse stayed in the guest bedroom and was there in case Mom tried to wander outside in the middle of the night. Thankfully, there hadn’t been any other incidents since the day I picked her up from Lilah’s.

“So, why are you here and not with the brothers?” Mom asked as I was putting the last of the food away in the fridge.

“Fee is in labor, and everyone is freaking out. Thought it would be best to give them some space.” Mom made a disapproving noise, and I turned to look at her.

“What? What does that mean?” I asked.

“Why aren’t you there with all of them? This is the first baby of your generation. The first for all of the current brothers. I’m sure they want you there too.” Mom loved the club. Not just because they had rescued us, but because they took me under their wing. Specifically, Reaper and Guard put extra effort in to make sure I learned how to be a man and what that meant.

“I’ll just wait until they get home. I don’t think they’re worried about where I am. They’ve got something a bit more important going on.” Mom frowned, looking like she wanted to say more, so I took that as my cue to head out for the night.

“I’ll keep you posted, send pictures of the baby and shit once I hear from them,” I told her as I put my jacket on, getting ready to head out.

“Alright. Ride safe and text me when you get home.” She watched me with worried eyes, and I hated that I was upsetting her.

“I’ll be fine. Have a good night. I’ll call you tomorrow.” I kissed her cheek and stepped outside.

“Lock up,” I told her, and waited until I heard the telltale sounds of the locks engaging. I activated the alarm from the app on my phone.

Later that night, I found myself awake again, staring at the ceiling. The clubhouse felt quiet. There hadn’t been any parties that week, and half the guys were at the hospital. A little after four in the morning, we all got a text with a picture of Birdie, Bash and Fiona’s baby girl. She looked angry, her little face all scrunched up. She already had a shock of red hair covering her head. Knowing that everything was okay, I finally drifted off to sleep.

Somewhere around 6 a.m., though, I was woken up by my phone ringing. Seeing that it was Fiona, I grabbed it quickly, rushing to answer.

“Red? You okay?” I asked. Because why else would she be calling me?

“You didn’t come to the hospital.” Fee’s voice was bossy and angry, if a little tired.

“Well, I—you have so many people there already…” I fumbled.