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I nodded. “Can we come in?”

She stared at me for a moment, then stepped aside, letting us in. Her apartment was a mess, and that was putting it mildly. There was a stack of dishes in her sink, and the stench of spoiled food wafted through the space. There were blankets and pillows all around the room, and piles of laundry wherever there weren't blankets.

Where I saw a mess, River just saw a room perfect for blanket forts and went running. He jumped onto the biggest stack of pillows with a giggle. Goldie closed the door behind her and rested her back against it, keeping as much space between us as she could.

“What are you doing here?”

I stuffed my hands in my pockets and turned to her, leaving River to his own devices. “Call it a welfare check by your friends.”

She eyed me for a moment, studying me closely. The sound of giggling drew her attention, and she craned her neck to see River running circles around her living room. “Who’s that?”

“Oh, yeah,” I laughed to myself; the memory loss thing was confusing. “That’s my son, River.” I called out to him as he whipped his gaze to me, beckoning him over. “Come here.”

He listened, skipping over to me. I picked him up, resting him on my side. He held his Gator to his chest tightly, peeking through his eyelashes at Goldie. “This is River,” I explained. “Can you say hi to my friend?”

He nodded and stuck his hand out to her. She stared at him in surprise, but took his little hand in hers and even shook it.

“Hi, Goldie!” he cheered.

A hint of a smile found its way onto her face. “Hi, River. It’s nice to meet you.”

He smiled from ear to ear, a blush forming on his face. I laughed and held him tighter. “Sorry for the intrusion. The bat signal was lit, and I was sent to check on you.”

I looked around the apartment again. It was obvious she wasn’t doing okay. She shouldn’t be alone; she simply wasn’t ready for it. She had a lot to process, yes, and needed space to process it… but this… this wasn’t healthy. I made up my mind on the spot, knowing Goldie wasn’t going to take it well.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat, my eyes sharpening with newfound resolve. “Pack a bag.”

She stared at me like I had lost my mind. “Excuse me?”

“Your friends are worried and you’re shutting them out. That’s fine—it's not my place to intrude. But I can’t leave here, not when you’re in this condition,” I explained. “So pack a bag. You can avoid your friends, but you can do it from my home. I have a spare room and bathroom, and I can even act as a bouncer for unwanted guests.”

Her dark gaze stayed trained on me. “I don’t know you.”

I raised a brow, challenging her. “You don’t know anyone.”

A startled laugh escaped her. “Low blow, but you’re right.” She looked around her home. “I… I know I need help, but I don’t even know who to ask.” Her voice dropped as though she were talking to herself. “I don’t even know who I am.”

I set River down, and he stayed by my side, wrapping his arms around my leg. I rested my hand on his head, my gaze focused on Goldie. “Come stay with me—with us—for a while, at least while you figure it out.”

She swallowed hard and nodded softly. “Okay.”

Lexington

Goldie stood in the middle of the living room, looking obviously out of place. I couldn’t figure out why she had agreed so readily to come here with me. And based on her face, she didn’t know why, either. A duffel bag and a suitcase lay at her feet, and a tote bag was thrown over her shoulder. She looked lost, and my heart cracked a bit seeing her.

I grabbed the duffel bag and suitcase, pulling them behind me down the hall. If she wanted to follow me, she could; I was following her lead. I wandered into the rarely used guest room. It faced the front of the house, with a view of the large tree in my front yard.

Goldie followed, her steps quiet behind me as though she were purposefully trying not to make any sound. She looked around the room and sat on the edge of the bed. It wasn’t much, just a bed, a dresser and a couple of nightstands, but I hoped it would be enough for her.

“Thank you,” she mumbled.

I nodded and turned toward the door, stopping and turning before I left. “Umm… I don’t really know what to say to you.”

She glanced up at me, understanding in her gaze. “I don’t know, either. I haven’t figured out how to talk to anyone just yet. I have nothing to talk about but… that place.”

“Have you talked about it with anyone yet?” I asked, leaning against the doorway.

She shook her head. “I’m not ready.”