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Quinn:
How fast can you get over here?
I decide to call her instead of texting her back.
“Hey,” she answers and at the sound of her voice, a sense of calm washes over me and I sigh.
“You have no idea how good it is to talk to you.”
“Yeah?” she asks. “Bad day?”
I nod. “The fucking worst.”
“Tell me about it.”
“It’s just my brother,” I answer like somehow she’ll accept that answer and she sighs.
“Tell me about it, Lucas.”
Before I know it, I’m spilling my guts and feeling better than I have since I dropped her off last night after our date but that’s what she does for me. Something about her makes all the shit just melt away. She’s the only thing that’s keeping me going lately and I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her.
* * * *
“Sleeping beauty awake yet?” Iris asks, walking into the kitchen and I shake my head as I take a sip of coffee.
“Nope. Still out like a light.”
She fills her travel mug with coffee before turning to me. “Have you checked on him?”
“Yeah, when I woke up.”
“You look tired,” she comments, sitting across from me at the table. “Did you sleep much last night?”
I shake my head. “No, I never do when I’m keeping an eye on him.”
“Lucas,” she whispers, picking at the corner of the table before her green eyes meet mine. “Was I too easy on you guys? I never wanted to drive you away but since you showed up last night, I can’t help thinking that I should have been more strict with the two of you when you were growing up.”
I reach across the table and grab her hand. “Don’t ever fucking think you didn’t do enough for us, Riz. We were homeless when you found us and I think we’d both probably be dead right now if it wasn’t for you.”
“But…”
“No,” I snap, cutting her off as I shake my head. “Clay and I were dealt a bad hand before you came into our lives. You’re the only reason we’re both still breathing.”
She nods, wiping away a tear and it shreds me. Iris may not be related to Clay or me biologically but she’s the only mother we’ve known for the longest time and I hate seeing her blame herself for this.
“I love you boys, you know.”
I nod. “I know and we love you, too.”
“Okay,” she breathes, releasing my hand and standing up before brushing her hands over her skirt. “I’d better get going to work. I’ll try to come home after lunchtime and we’ll all talk, okay?”
“Sounds good.”
Turning away from me, she grabs her purse off the counter before holding her coffee cup up in the air. “Thanks for the coffee, by the way.”
“You’re welcome,” I call as she walks into the living room. After she leaves, I relax back into my chair as open the paper, trying to do anything to distract myself from the impromptu intervention we’re having today.
“Motherfucker!” Clay’s voice bellows from down the hallway and I sigh as I set the paper down and wait for him to come into the kitchen. A few seconds later, he stomps in and slaps his hand against the wall. “You brought me to Iris’s?!”
