Page 92 of In Step

The minute we berthed, Fox shooed me out of the boat. “Go. We’ll clean up. Say hi to Abe for us, since I’m thinking we won’t see much of him until tomorrow.”

Leroy snorted and added, “Oh, and Henry wants to know if he has to order in more lube. His supplies are getting low.”

I flipped them both off and grumbled, “I think I liked you better when you hated me.”

“No, you didn’t.” Leroy blew me a kiss and they both laughed me off the boat.

I grabbed my pay from the office and headed up the hill. And if I happened to run most of the way with my feet barely touching the ground, that was no one’s business but my own.

At the top of the bedsit stairs sat a container of bean chilli with a note attached.

To keep your strength up. Figured you might not have time to cook. Cora & Martha.

Good God, are there no fucking secrets in this place?I groaned and ferried the chilli inside, refusing to acknowledge just how grateful I was because they were right. When I got Abe back home, no, there would be no coming up for air for the foreseeable future.

I bribed the cats with food to distract them from demanding their usual cuddle and then jumped in the shower, making sure to clean thoroughly and gave my nifty new douche another run. I’d purchased it as an extremely embarrassing last-minute addition to my regular pharmacy script pick up. I should’ve known better.

“So, you and Abe, huh?” Henry had asked carefully.

He’d been the first to broach the subject head-on, although I knew from the looks I’d been getting around town that word had spread, but no one had actually asked. Not that Abe and I had exactly been hiding. I was too giddy just finally being out, and at thirty, I didn’t have too many fucks left to give about what anyone thought. Judah and Leroy and my father had been my only concerns. I’d surprised even myself at how comfortable I was holding hands or kissing Abe in public.

“Yeah,” I’d answered Henry. “Me and Abe.”

He’d simply nodded at that and then taken me aside and given me far more hideously detailed instructions for the douche kit than I’m sure were warranted. My blush had deepened to solar-flare level when he’d added a free tube of lube to my order at the counter. Bloody Leroy.

With my new purchase in my hot little hands, I’d spent most of the week trying to master the skills of said douche kit, much to Abe’s amusement. He’d offered to lend a hand the first time, which had cost him an early morning pre-work blowjob as punishment. In retrospect, since he’d repeated the offer that same night, it clearly hadn’t been the deterrent I’d hoped for, and I tucked that little tidbit of information aside for later consideration.

But I’d been determined to get it right, especially for Abe’s homecoming.Homecoming?I mentally slapped myself. Tie a fucking bow on my head and call me ridiculous.

Finally showered, dressed, and clean enough to park a train where it mattered, I arrived at Whangarei airport with thirty minutes to spare. I cooled my heels in the café, which gave me far too much time to dwell on the fact that the next time I was there, it would be to put Abe on a plane to leave for good. That went some way toward killing my good mood and added a sour note to my already churning stomach.

But that only lasted until I saw Abe deplane onto the tarmac and watched his beautiful face light up in a huge smile just for me. The fact I was a thirty-year-old man waving like a loon from the arrival area might’ve had something to do with it, but I still needed to pinch myself.Me, out and proud—kind of, or at least getting there—and waving to a man I cared far too much about than was good for me, while knowing I was a short drive from dragging said man into my bed.

All in all, kind of fucking amazing.

Abe entered the concourse and made a beeline for me, scooping me into his arms and planting a don’t-give-a-shit-who’s-looking kiss onto my eager lips, those crazy bi-coloured eyes twinkling with mischief.

“I’ve missed you.” He murmured into my ear and grabbed my hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

We chatted all the way back to Painted Bay, Abe’s hand warm and high on my thigh and doing wicked things to my nether regions, which was no doubt his intention, the bastard.

I wriggled my balls away from his persistent little finger for the hundredth time and asked the question I’d been holding back. “So, tell me more about the assessment and the follow-up appointment.”

He quieted immediately and I almost regretted asking, but our phone calls hadn’t covered many details and at times he’d seemed distant, almost wary. I got that he was almost sick of talking about it after long days with his brother, but I wanted to be there for him just as he’d been for me.

“Early to mid-stage dementia is the official diagnosis,” he answered evenly, avoiding my gaze.

My stomach sank and I covered his hand with mine. “I’m so sorry.”

He shrugged. “It’s not like we didn’t expect it, but it was still hard to hear. The assessment was pretty telling. She’s still mostly independent and can look after herself within limits. Cooking is an issue, although she can still manage laundry. And you can still have an almost normal conversation with her if you stick to tried and true topics. That was all on the positive side. But if you veer off those topics, she gets so many things confused or just completely wrong. At one point she forgot her address, citing her old house instead—the one we lived in twenty years ago. And twice she struggled to remember Fiona’s name, her only grandchild, which really hit Con hard. It’s so patchwork.”

I sighed and squeezed his hand. “So, what comes next?”

Abe kept his eyes on the road, his expression partly hidden by his sunglasses, the farmland and blue sky flashing in their reflection. “They think maybe a year or so at the most before she’ll need some type of continual supervision or residential care. In the meantime, we used the three days to make the house as safe as possible, and the health team are organising some home care assistance with regard to cleaning and shopping and hot meal delivery. Her driver’s licence is revoked, and they said we needed to start planning for future care.”

“Jesus, that’s hard.” I rubbed my thumb in circles over the back of his hand.

“Yeah. Con wanted her to move in with them now, but she refused, and the team said he needs to think carefully about that, owing to the amount of supervision she’s going to need later on. He raised it again with Mum in the car after we left, and again Mum adamantly refused.”

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