Page 88 of Last Call

“Fallon will want to know…”

“I’ll give her the basics.”

“And you think that will be enough?” Ida asked.

“It will be for now. Did you call Sylvia?”

“Not yet.”

“You do that. I’ll see you shortly,” Andi promised. She took a deep breath and handed Fallon her phone.

“Andi, what the hell was that about?” Fallon asked.

“Dora is at the hospital.”

“And?”

“Fallon, I don’t have time right now to explain everything to you. Honestly? It isn’t even my place. Ida needs to get to the hospital. Okay? Your mother is fine. She’s worried about Dora.”

“Andi? What…”

“Listen to me. I know what you think of Dora. She wasn’t always such a…”

“Biddy?”

“She wasn’t always so judgmental.”

“Mom and Dora don’t get along,” Fallon said.

“That’s not true. Ida doesn’t like the people Dora is surrounded by—she doesn’t like the way they’ve affected Dora.”

“I don’t get it.Youdon’t like Dora.”

“I don’t appreciate the way that group of women treatedyou. And I don’t care for the way they spread nonsense. That doesn’t mean I don’t like Dora. It’s not my story, Fallon. My mother was as close to Dora as she was to Pete’s mom and Ida when I was little. She was like a second mom to me and Pete.”

“You’re serious.”

“I’m surprised Dean never commented about it to you.”

“Why didn’t my mother?”

“It’s…”

“Not your story. Got it,” Fallon said.

“Fallon, I’m asking you—please, don’t press Ida about this. If something were to happen to Dora, it would break your mother’s heart. No matter what has happened, Dora is someone she loves. No matter what has happened.”

“Okay.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you okay?” Fallon asked.

“No,” Andi said. “I will be. I need to get my keys.”

“I can take you and Mom.”

“I appreciate that. Let me handle this one, okay?”

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