Page 15 of Edge of Heaven

I don’t know why but the thought of her marrying Callum makes me cringe.

She deserves so much better.

Except it’s not my business or my problem.

It just feels like it is.

And I’m going to have to figure out why.

Chapter4

Taryn

From the momentI step off the plane in L.A., it feels like I can breathe again. Not so much because I’m home, but more because I’m away from Callum. Six glorious days without anyone yelling at me, manhandling me, or making fun of me in front of others. Six days where I get to spend time with my son and try to get my career back on track.

Things have been tough professionally because Callum is so demanding of my time. He hates when I’m away from him and always complains before I leave to come see Toby. Last night, he threatened to find someone to satisfy his needs while I’m gone, and I didn’t know how to respond.

I’m not jealous.

He can sleep with anyone he wants, especially if it means leaving me alone. But that’s the problem—he wants his cake and plans to eat it too. And since he refuses to use condoms, the thought that he might get something and then give it to me is horrifying. So as usual, I’m caught between a rock and a hard place.

Less than six months, I think as the taxi drops me off at my mom’s house.

She’s at work, so I put my things in the guest room, get the bag of surprises I picked up for Toby, and then call an Uber to take me to the clinic where he has to stay while he’s in the treatment program.

My mother works until three during the week and then heads over to the hospital to go over Toby’s school lessons and have dinner with him. I know it’s hard on her and lonely for him, but we talk every day via video chat, and my mom is with him all day on the weekends.

It’s a lot for her, but having leukemia is no walk in the park for Toby either. He’s exhausted all the time, and recently had to shave his head again, which I know bothers him. He doesn’t have many friends anymore, and one of the kids he got close to at the clinic passed away.

“Mommy!” Toby’s eyes light up the moment I walk in, and he holds out his arms. I’ve already washed my hands and put on the mask we’re required to wear so I wrap my arms around him tightly.

“I missed you so much,” I whisper against the backwards baseball cap he’s wearing.

“I missed you too.” He pulls away slightly and gives me a gap-toothed grin. “Did you bring me a present?”

I frown, like I’m thinking about it. “Hmmm. Have you been good? Do you deserve presents?”

“I’ve been awesome!” he responds, and we both laugh.

“There might be something in here.” I lift the large gift bag containing two new Lego sets, two puzzles, and a few other things to keep him busy.

His eyes round as he pulls out a Star Wars Revenge of the Sith Starfighter Lego set. “I wanted this one!” he says happily.

“Keep looking,” I encourage.

He digs in and comes out with the Revenge of the Sith Heroes and Villains figures and clutches the box to his chest. “Yay!”

I chuckle, watching as he gets everything out and spreads it on the bed.

“Can we build the heroes and villains first?” he asks.

“Sure.” I settle on the edge of the bed and open the instructions.

He’s so bored here at this private clinic, basically sequestered from the world because of his almost non-existent immune system, we’re all trying to find ways to entertain him. The nurses are amazing, and the homeschool program he’s in allows us lots of flexibility, but I still hate it for him.

Six months down, six to go.

I think those words a lot these days, and for more reasons than one.

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