Page 77 of Penance
“We are going to start by getting some medicine, and then we’ll see about a doctor.”
Morgan shakes his head, blonde hair falling into his eyes. “I can’t afford a doctor….She doesn’t have insurance.”
He looks at Mia, tears filling his eyes. It’s clear how much he loves her. My heart shatters in my chest. This is a weight no kid should have to carry, and yet he’s doing it willingly for his sister.
“Morgan,” I say, calling his attention to me. He lifts his head while the tears begin to fall. “I will take care of your sister. I promise. You don’t have to worry about the money. Do you hear me?”
The muscles in his throat work as he tries to swallow down his fear, and I wait for him to trust me. It was a big step for him to come to me, but I can tell he’s still wary—still afraid. And I don’t blame him; the world that should be protecting him has only failed him.
His chin dips to his chest so slowly that I almost miss that it’s his acknowledgment. It’s not until he meets my eyes again that I realize he’s handing it over. His trust. And the one thing he loves the most.
I want to leap for joy at the realization, but I know it would only throw him off. So, instead, I nod back, content to celebrate inside.
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When we pull up to the local grocery store and I spy Tanner’s truck in the parking lot, it hits me that he said he had to work today, which shouldn’t make a difference. I’m here to help the little girl currently sleeping in my back seat and her brother, who hasn’t taken an eye off her since we got into the truck, but it’s not lost on me that this will probably be another wedge between my son and me if he sees me with Morgan.
Turning in my seat, I lean my elbow against the console and look back at him.
“You stay here, and I’ll go grab the medicine,” I say, trying to avoid the fight I know will happen if Morgan walks into that store with me, but he shakes his head.
There’s a determined set to his jaw when he meets my gaze. “I want to go. I want to see what medicine you’re getting so I know what to do if she gets sick again. I want to learn.”
There’s no way I can argue with that. I can’t deny a kid trying to care for his sister, but I run my tongue along my teeth anyway, trying to think of another way. And I come up with none.
“Okay, but we’re going to be quick. Your sister is sleeping, and she really needs to rest. That’s what’s going to help her get better. I’m going to leave the truck running with the air conditioning on, and I’ll lock the door with my phone.”
Morgan looks at his sister. “Will she be okay?”
“She’ll be okay,” I confirm. “But let’s hurry. I sent a text to Dr. Harrison, and he’s going to see her when we leave here. He’s not at the hospital today. He’s at home, so we’ll swing by there.”
If he has any protests about going to Hayes’s future father-in-law’s house to see a doctor, he doesn’t voice it. He drops his head, placing alight kiss on Mia’s brow, before sitting back up and saying, “Let’s go.”
Getting out of the truck, I crank up the air conditioning and lock the doors from my phone, just like I told Morgan I would. Although, the lock isn’t really necessary. Benton Falls is the safest place I’ve ever lived.
Morgan meets me at the front of the truck, and we speed walk into the store, heading straight for the medicine aisle. Luckily, Tanner isn’t standing at the front when we come in, and I hold out hope that we can avoid it.
I saw how he looked at Morgan when he saw me helping him with his car in the parking lot the other day. I didn’t miss the resentment.
In the medicine aisle, I take my time showing Morgan the best ones to fight off a fever, answering any questions he has. We pick the best ones and turn to leave, only to find Tanner standing at the front of the aisle.
“Something you forgot to tell me, Dad?” Tanner asks, staring directly at Morgan. “Get a new son or something?”
Hatred drips from his words, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Morgan stiffen.
“Tanner, this is not the place for this conversation.”
Already, I can see several phones pointing in our direction. Before we walk out of here, those videos will be all over town.
I walk down the aisle to stand closer to him, and Morgan follows.
Tanner’s eyes land on me, his teeth bared. “Yeah, well, seems like there’s never the right time for us to have a conversation,Dad.”He spits out my name like a curse word. “But you seem to have plenty of time forhim.”
He turns his attention back to Morgan, who is radiating with tension. His fists are curled, and his jaw is clenched. Morgan’s lips pull back into a menacing smile.
“Maybe I’m just better.”
I slice Morgan with a glare. Tanner was goading him, and he took the bait. When he sees my face, remorse floods his, but it’s too late because Tanner has had enough. I see his fist swing just in time to catch it inches from Morgan’s face.
