Page 144 of Free to Fall

“Is Bailey all right?” Her breath comes out fast, as if she ran here instead of driving her car which is parked askew in my driveway.

I nod, even though the fact Bailey’s her first thought fills some cold part of me with warmth. “Would you like anything to drink?”

Arms akimbo, she squares off against me. “Liam, I just got off shift. I thought this was an emergency when you texted.”

I wince at her words. Maybe I should have used a different phrase?

Still, Laura isn’t cruel. She rephrases, “I was worried something happened to Bailey.”

“It sort of has.”

Her mouth opens and closes a few times before she presses her lips together.

Moving over to the couch, I gesture for her to join me. When she does, I ask, “Bailey did something today at school, which I had no idea she did until I received a call about it. I’m hoping you won’t be upset.”

Laura frowns. “What happened?”

I shift forward and brace my elbows on my knees. Burying my face in my hands, the mistakes of what I’ve done haunt me more than ever. Knowing I have no choice but to admit this, I share, “She forged your name on a permission slip.” Laura’s visibly taken aback. I clarify, “As her parent or guardian.”

“Excuse me?”

“That was the same reaction I had at first when the school called to verify your identity.”

“What was it for?” Laura leans forward as well.

Scrubbing my face with my hands, I let them fall away. “Bring Your Parent to School Day.”

Laura’s lips part.

“I also think you should know before you react that I’ve pieced a few things together.”

“Such as?”

“I took legal steps to make you Bailey’s legal guardian. It is important to me that if something happens, I know she will go to the one person who loves her as much as I do.”

A twisted sound of anguish slips past her lips. “Does she know this?”

“Not that I was aware of. I handled it all from the office.”

She growls—actually snarls at me. God, she sets my blood on fire, but now’s not the time to explore that. The time for that is after I explain why I made the decision I did and after I ask the biggest favor I ever will. “Love, especially the kind Bailey has for you, isn’t just going to disappear.”

“Was that before or after your gifts started?” she asks, fury in her voice.

“Before, Laura. One has nothing to do with the other.”

I’ve flummoxed her. “Then ... why?”

“There’s really only one reason. Quite simply, it’s because we love you. We always will.”

“Liam, this is still something that you should have talked with me about,” she protests.

Leaning forward until I’ve crossed the invisible barrier between us, I give her the truth. “Would you have said no?”

Agony and denial lace her voice but she still can’t refute my words. “It’s unlikely, Liam, but...”

Hearing my name when she’s this close to me makes me want to lean forward and taste it on her lips. Instead, I limit myself to laying my hand on hers and feel the same sparks I felt the moment we first shook hands shoot up my arm. Judging by the way her eyes dilate, she feels the same. “Then please know I trust you, Laura, with the most precious part of me.”

“It’s everything.” Two words, yet they mean the world.

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