Page 30 of Honor

“Yes.”

Since her day obviously wasn’t fine, I take a seat on the edge of my bed. “What’s wrong?”

“Who said anything was wrong?” she pushes back.

“You.” I manage a weak laugh. “I know you, and something isn’t adding up.”

She lets out a soft noise. I can’t place it at first, but then it hits me. “Mom? Are you crying?”

A tiny sob escapes her, along with a whispered, “I had a tough shift. Something happened at the hospital today.”

I put those pieces together and ask a question that I sense I already know the answer to, “Did you lose a patient?”

It’s never happened before, but I knew that it would hit her hard the first time it did happen. My mom cares deeply for everyone she meets. That’s one of the many traits that make her such a good nurse.

“I did,” she whispers. “She was very sick, so she’s at peace now, but it’s still hard.”

“I’m so sorry, Mom,” I say with every ounce of compassion I can stuff into my tone. “I’m really sorry.”

“Thank you.” She sobs quietly.

“Is there anything I can do?” I ask, knowing full well that she might want me to go home to see her.

If that happens, I’ll let Lottie down easy. I have a feeling she’ll understand. I hope she will.

“No, but thank you, sweetheart.” She exhales. “Your dad is taking me out for dinner tonight to a restaurant that we love. It’s a quiet little place. Tomorrow, I’ll take a hike with some of my co-workers, and on Sunday, we’ll all volunteer at an animal shelter in memory of the patient. She loved animals. She told me so many stories about her pets.”

The fact that my mom has such a strong support system around her brings tears to my eyes. “That sounds lovely.”

“It will be,” she assures me, and herself, I think. “I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“I’m glad I got to hear your voice, too.”

“I better get going,” she says with the added sound of leather creaking around her.

I can pinpoint exactly where she is. She’s dragging herself out of her favorite old chair that sits near the big picture window in her bedroom.

“I’m sorry again, Mom,” I tell her. “I love you.”

“You too, my beautiful girl.”

The call ends without any confessions on my part. I can go to Paris with Lottie and embrace the adventure, knowing my mom will be fine.

The bonus is that I don’t think my boss realizes I won’t be at his beck and call tomorrow or Monday.

He hasn’t brought up my planned days off, so Baden must not have mentioned it. In some small way, I wish I were a fly on the wall so I could witness firsthand Mr. Hunt’s reaction when he realizes I took two days off without so much as a word to him.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Reid

Before I walkinto the private washroom attached to my office, I know something isn’t right.

There wasn’t a cup of coffee waiting for me, and Miss Starling’s desk looks like it hasn’t been touched since she raced out of the office after work yesterday.

I inhale deeply, but I only smell a hint of lemon, courtesy of the cleaning crew that made their regular rounds after I left last night.

Miss Starling doesn’t wander into this washroom every morning, but it happens often enough that I’ve started looking forward to being bathed in the lingering scent of her perfume.

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