Page 115 of The Thought of You

I’m not sure what I expected, to be honest. Matching curtains and throw pillows, or perhaps labels for glasses, coffee mugs, and plates stuck to her cabinets. Part of me imagined Taylor Swift posters and Shark Tank merch, but I’m not ruling them out just yet; they’re probably hidden away in glass cases.

In any case, I didn’t expect the mess.

It’s absolute chaos in here, and guilt eats at me as I guide her to the only empty seat on her couch. How can I leave her here and go back to work for the afternoon? I need to help her. To at least clear the laundry and snack wrappers off her couch.

“Where might a bucket or a bowl be?” I ask her.

“I’ll get it.” She starts to sit up, but I place both hands on her shoulders and nudge her to stay where she is.

“Just point me in the right direction, please.”

“To the left of the kitchen sink, there should be a few mixing bowls.”

As her head falls to the back of the couch, I launch my search of the mixing bowl. The kitchen sink is halfway full, and the counter is littered with used forks and napkins. The refrigerator is bare and nothing like the one at my mom’s, which is covered in baby pictures of Huck, plus wedding and baby shower invitations.

Addie’s cabinets are not labeled, but the pantry is. Once I located the biggest bowl of the four immediately available, I check the Cs in her pantry and find an open box of crackers.

Supplies in hand, I return to her side. “Eat a few of these, and use the bowl as needed. I’ll be back to check on you later.”

“You’re leaving?” Her eyelids flutter open, and her scared gaze shoots me right in the chest.

“I have to get back to my classes, but I won’t be leaving you alone. I promise.”

This seems to put her at ease as she sinks back into the cushions.

I pull my phone from my pocket and find a text from my mom. The one above it was one I sent with Addie’s address.

MOM

I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.

This gives me all the relief I need. If I can’t be the one to look after her, I’m glad it can be my mom. She’s the best person I know, and Addie will be in good hands with her until the final bell rings.

“How about we get you into comfier clothes? Maybe even lie down in bed?” I ask.

She barely lifts her head, but I think the sound she makes is a yes.

I dip low enough to wrap my arm under hers and hoist her onto her feet, leaning most of her weight onto me. We make it out of the living room before I realize I don’t know where I’m going.

As if she reads my mind, she points to the end of the hall. “That one.”

Her bedroom is sparsely decorated in florals and a few picture frames of her, Maren, and Caroline. There are a couple with her parents from when she was younger, and there’s a more recent one of her with sea turtles at the beach. It must be from the trip to Pensacola to visit her father that she mentioned last night.

Everything in this room is tidy and in its place. Did she chain this room off during her mother’s stay? How else did she manage to keep everyone else from destroying it like they did the rest of the house?

Addie rests on my shoulder as I peel back her comforter and help her slide inside. With a sigh, she says, “You’re pretty good at taking care of me.”

“This is nothing,” I whisper, but I can’t be certain that she hears me.

She drifts off to sleep with a soft snore, and it gives me another moment of relief. She’ll be asleep when my mom gets here, but when Addie wakes up, she’ll be happy to know she’s not alone.

I stay with her for a few moments until my phone buzzes.

MOM

I’m here.

I kiss Addie’s temple, my nose tangling in her wavy strands, and then I tear myself away to let my mother in.

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