“I’m better now I’m at home. I like being with you best.”
I kiss him gently on the forehead, breathing him in. “I like it when you’re here with me too.”
“I don’t want to see Mom again. She’s not very nice.”
“She didn’t treat you badly, did she?” I’ve checked every inch of him and he seems fine, but I’m still worried. I think this is something I’ll be worried about for a while. “What happened?”
“No, she was just nasty about you.”
“Oh…” Of course that would affect him, I’m the only parent that he’s ever known. “I see. Well, you don’t have to worry about that again, I won’t ever let anything like today happen again.”
“She’s in jail now.”
God, he knows everything! “Yes, she is because of the gun.”
“Good. I like it better when she’s gone.”
Me too! So fucking much. I know that my life will be better from here on out.
“I love you, Alex.”
“I love you too, Daddy.”
I sit with him until he falls asleep, only able to pull away when he’s snoring, and I head back into the other room to join Mom and Mia. They are so involved in conversation that they barely notice me at first.
“Oh, son!” Mom leaps up. “Is everything okay with Alex?”
“He’s fine, he’s sleeping now. Did Jenny go?”
“Yes, her sister took her home. She’s very cut up, the poor girl.”
“I know. And I tried to tell her it isn’t her fault.”
“It will just take some time. That’s all. But I think it might be time for me to head off too.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I’m shattered. But I’ll be back to see you all in the morning. I will want to check on Alex again.”
“Sure thing, Mom. I’ll walk you to the door.”
As we go, I can see Mom giving me a side eyed look. I know that she’s got something to say to me, so it isn’t much of a shock when she grabs my arm at the door and she stares intently at me.
“I don’t know the full details of what happened between you both before, but I can see why Mia made you so happy. She is a real keeper. You would be an idiot to let her go.”
I let go of a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. “I’m so glad you like her.”
“So, you think you might try and make things up with her?”
“I would like to… I just don’t know where her head is at.”
Mom looks towards where she’s just left Mia. “That woman is in love with you. I’m telling you that much.”
“How can you tell?”
“She ran a marathon today and she still came to help you after it. That woman is more exhausted than I have ever known anyone to be before, but she pushed all of that aside for you. And she’s still only concerned about you.”
“The marathon… I completely forgot about it with everything what’s going on.”