Page 87 of Road Trip
Chapter Twenty
Abra
I could barely sit still, worrying about what was going on at home. Gran had her eyes closed, finally resting. It was almost time to go, so I stood from the chair, stretched my back, and approached the bed to kiss her goodnight.
“I’ll be back in the morning,” I whispered.
Her eyes opened and she smiled up at me.
“Thank you, darling. I love you.” She slipped back into sleep, and I sighed in relief. She was going to be okay. She had to be. She already looked so much better than she did when I brought her in.
I found the massive truck in the parking lot and had to hop three times to get into the cab. I was exhausted and sweaty as I drove back to Gran’s. The truck was pretty badass, even if it smelled like horse shit.
The scene I found in my living room was adorable. Kelly and Mom were sitting on the couch watchingThe Twilight Zone. Kelly looked up and smiled at me. A wave of relief washed over me. He looked relaxed. She looked into the show. The house was still standing…
“Hey, Mom. How are you?”
She didn’t look up from the show. I dropped my bag and walked behind the couch. I leaned over Kelly’s shoulder and kissed his cheek.
“How’s your gran?” He stood and motioned for me to join them.
I sat between them and curled into his side.
“She looked better tonight. She was resting peacefully when I left. They said her surgery is scheduled for early in the morning, around eight, and that I can see her when she’s out of recovery. I called Gran’s good friend Lila and she said she can come stay with Mom tomorrow. That way you can—”
“Go with you to the hospital.”
I looked up at him and smiled gratefully. “I was going to say go home, but I’d love it if you stayed. I can’t thank you enough,” I whispered.
He pulled me closer to him and kissed my hair. I looked at Mom and she was watching us, smiling.
“It’s good to see you happy, honey.” She patted my knee and then used it to leverage herself off the couch. “I’m going to go to bed now. Thank you, Kelly, and thank you, honey, for taking care of Mom.” She walked slowly to the hallway, and I stood to follow her.
“Hey, Mom. You okay? You seem tired tonight.”
She turned to me and smiled. “It makes me happy to see you with a nice young man. I want for you what I never had. A partner. Your father was not ready to be a father. I’m sorry I didn’t plan better for you.”
I hugged her tightly, feeling exhausted thinking of what was ahead. “Rest well, Mom.”
She pulled back and kissed my cheek, something she hadn’t done since I was a kid. I smiled at her, and she turned to go to her room. I used the bathroom and then changed into some of the pajamas I had in my room here. When I came back out into the living room, Kelly’s head was back on the couch with his eyes closed. I kissed his forehead, and he smiled.
“Hey, doll. You should get some rest.”
“I will once you come with me. No hanky-panky, though. My bed is one of those old spring beds that creaks when you breathe. You probably won’t get much rest, and I’ll totally understand if you want to go.”
He stood, turned off the TV, and walked around the couch to me.
“I want to stay with you, but I really should run out and grab some things. I don’t want to sleep with you smelling like barn.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist. “You could smell like total ass and I would still want to sleep next to you.” I was so over trying to keep him at arm’s length tonight. I needed the peace he gave me.
He smiled down at me and quirked his head to the side. “You sure?”
“Fuck yeah. You can take a shower with me and then we can wrap up under Gran’s quilts and get some shut-eye.”
“That sounds amazing,” he whispered.
I woke early the next morning to find Kelly sleeping soundly next to me. I hated to wake him up, so I slipped out of bed and used the bathroom, and then went out to start breakfast. Mom was sitting at the kitchen table, staring out the window.
