Page 25 of Someone to Watch Over Me

Tall with dark hair and eyes, Lydia and Cora look like our late father, while I favor our blonde mother.

“I’m being dead serious, and that’s what’s going to happen. I won’t be alone at home. Lexi is there.”

“Oh, right,” Cora says, “Lexi, who crumpled like a house of cards under pressure last night.”

“Watch it, Cora. You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Hearing Lexi’s reaction described that way breaks my heart.

“I know you like her?—”

“I more than like her. I think I could be in love with her, so watch what you say.”

“It’s just that she didn’t seem very strong in the face of an emergency.”

“Because a couple of years ago, she lost her husband after a four-year battle with ALS, during which she was his primary caregiver. Needless to say, what happened last night was extremely triggering for her, and as far as I’m concerned, she held up well enough to save my life. So you’ll have to pardon me if I’m uninterested in your critiques of her emergency performance.”

Cora has the good sense to look a bit guilty. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that about her husband.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about her, so keep the judgment to yourself. I like her. I want her around, and I’ve already set up care for when I go home, so this entire argument is a moot point.”

“So you and Lexi have been, like, seeing each other since she moved in?” Lydia asks.

“Nope. We’re just friends and roommates for now.”

“But you want it to be more than that?” Cora asks.

“We’ll see.”

Cora’s brows furrow. “What does that mean?”

“It means that she’s been through a lot, and I’m not looking to pressure her for anything she’s not ready for. I like being her friend, and I like having her living with me. That’s all there is to say about it.”

“I, um… I might’ve screwed up,” Cora says.

“What did you do?”

“I, ah, I said something about how I’ve been worried she might hurt you.”

“For fuck’s sake, Cora. Stay out of my business, will you?”

“I’m sorry. I know you like her, and I haven’t been able to get a read on her, and…”

“You don’t need a read on her. I’m the only one who needs to know what she’s about, and I love everything about her. I swear to God, if you scared her off, I’ll never forgive you.”

“I don’t think I scared her off. I’m sorry. I didn’t know about the husband with ALS or any of that.”

“Which is why you should keep your opinions to yourself.”

“I’ll apologize to her again when I see her.”

“That’d be good.”

“So she might be the one, huh?” Lydia asks.

“Sheisthe one, but I’m not in any rush. If anything happens between us, it’ll be on her timetable, not mine.”

“What if she never comes around?” Cora asks.

“I’d rather be just friends with her than be with anyone else.”

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