Page 120 of Protect Home
“That’s common with concussions,” I tell her. “Our team doc says it’s when the matters of the heart truly come out.”
“Well, if that’s the case, Levi has the hots for a girl named Amber, and he wants to do dirty things to her.”
“He’s sixteen,” I say straight-faced.
“You’re telling me, son. I had to hear all about it.”
I laugh and direct my attention to the mini-Johnny Knoxville in front of me. “You just couldn’t help yourself,huh? Had to go and get a concussion just for some attention. What the hell, dude?”
“Learned…from…the best,” Levi’s raspy voice filters through the small space. His eyes struggle to open but turn wide when they dial in on me. “Gus.”
“Hey, man. You look like shit.”
A small smile rises. “Not supposed to say that around me, remember?”
“Ah.” I wave him off. “You’ll probably forget about it anyway.”
“The doctor said I’m gonna be oka?—”
“Hey,” I stop him. “You worry about resting and getting better. I’m just glad you’re good. Worried me there for a second, Levi.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. But we will be talking about you having a friend named Tater. I don’t even know what to think about that.”
Levi chuckles softly, his eyes slowly drifting back to sleep. “Gonna sleep now.”
I knuckle his fist in front of me and stand. “You do that, bud. I’ll check on you later.”
Mom nods for me to meet her outside, and I follow her out of Levi’s room. “Glad to see he’s speaking clearly now,” I tell her.
“Listen, August. I know I still have a lot to prove where you and your siblings are concerned, but I want you to know I’m going to do right by them.”
“I hope so, Mom. I really hope so.”
“I’m here right now, and that means something.”
“Yeah, it does. Is Marsha home with the other gremlins?”
Another nod. “She is. She’s been wonderful. And you should know I ended things with Mark.”
My brows rise. “Mark?”
“The neighbor. I know Levi told you we were seeing each other for a while. I realized I need to focus on my family.”
“That’s great, Mom. I just want to make sure everyone is safe and taken care of. Levi is really going to need you in his recovery. I’ve been around my fair share of concussions and know how important rest is in the coming weeks. He needs to be able to give his brain a break, not having to worry about cleaning up messes and taking care of his younger siblings.”
I can tell she gets what I’m putting down. “I understand.”
“And as much as I’d love to be there full-time, I’m about to have a child of my own. I need to be able to be there for Tenley and our son.”
“And you should, honey. I won’t stand in the way of that. Marsha has been a wonderful help, but I intend to be more involved even with her there.”
“Good,” I tell her. “I’d like for you to be in my son’s life, Mom. Your grandson.”
Mom smiles, and it’s the first time in years I’ve seen her genuinely excited. “I want that too, son. You’ve been like a father to your siblings growing up, and there’s no doubt in my mind you’ll make the best father to that sweet boy.”
A feeling of gratitude washes over me. My entire life, I’ve never heard my mom praise me for helping her. Helping her when I shouldn’t have had to. When I should have been able to focus on being a kid.
