“She’s something,” Nick said.
Graham nodded, curious—and wary as hell. Still, if Nick needed someone to talk to, he wasn’t going to turn his back on him. “What’s up?”
“You know being a teenager sucks, right?” he asked.
Graham laughed. “I remember, though it’s been a while. Just so you know, being a teenager’s parent can suck, too.”
“I owe you an apology, I think.” He cleared his throat, running a hand through his blond curls. “You like my mom?”
Graham froze. Was this a trick? Diana had taught him just how dangerous questions could be. Nick wasn’t as manipulative as his daughter, or as desperate, but he had more than his fair share of rage. And if his answer was going to trigger an episode here and now, he wasn’t sure what the hell to say.
“I mean, you love her?” Nick’s voice was low, a little shaky.
He looked at the boy. This was important to Nick—knowing.
“Like, love love her?” Nick pushed, jaw clenching.
With a sigh, he gave up. “I’m in love with your mother,” he clarified, a little more firmly than he’d intended. “Very much.”
Nick blew out a long, slow breath. “I thought so. And I got in the way.” Nick raked the sand with his toes. “I really screwed up. I’m sorry for being an asshole, Dr. Murphy.”
“Graham,” he corrected him, the weight he’d been bearing since he’d left Felicity easing a little.
“Graham.” Nick nodded. “I’m super protective, you know? She’s special—not just because she’s my mom. And my dad… He destroyed her, almost. She wants us to think she’s tough, and she is, but still, you have no idea. She cried all the time. Every night. What he did—” He broke off.
Graham nodded. “He hurt you all.” There was not a damn thing he could do to change that. But he’d do everything he could to help him move past it. But that’s not what this was about. This was a son needing confirmation that Graham loved his mother—that he got how special she was. And Graham did so he said, “He gave up the best part of himself when he let her go.”
Nick’s eyes searched his, a sad smile forming. “Yeah.”
He blew out a deep breath. “I’ll never do that to her.”
“I know.” Nick nodded. “I know you’re always going to love her. And take care of her. And be there for her.”
He nodded. “For all of you, maybe.”
“Maybe?” he asked, frowning.
“We haven’t really talked about a future, Nick.” He shook his head. “You know more than she does.”
“Oh.” Nick glanced at his mother. “No shit?”
He laughed. “Nope. I have no idea how she feels or what she wants.”
“Well, that sucks.”
“It does?” He couldn’t help but smile.
“Yeah, I figured you two would work everything out, she’d be happy, and Diana would get off my back.”
“Diana?” His gaze drifted then. Di was lying on her stomach beside Jack, his stacking cups piled up on her head.
“She’s all pumped about moving into our house.”
“How do you feel about that?” he asked.
“If Mom’s happy, and you don’t screw it up, I’m fine with it.” He shrugged. “Just don’t screw it up, okay? She can’t go through that again.”
None of us can.