Page 101 of Someone to Watch Over Me

“You understand better than anyone the spot I’m in.”

“I do, but,” Hallie adds, “what I’m discovering is that the heart wants what the heart wants, and if the worst were to happen again, I’m much more prepared to manage it this time. I have resources in place, such as all of you, a kick-ass therapist and a support system that was sorely lacking when Gwen died so suddenly. It wouldn’t be the same as it was then. It’d still hurt like a mother-effer, but I’m confident in my ability to survive it—and I’m confident in your ability to survive, too, if the worst should happen, which God forbid it does.”

“Hallie’s right,” Gage says. “When Iris was first diagnosed, y’all know I didn’t handle it the way I should have for the same reasons that have Lexi worried about being with Tom.” He glances at Iris with a warm smile. “But when I think about what I would’ve missed by being afraid of whatmighthappen… That would’ve been a damned shame.”

“Yes, it would have,” Iris says suggestively.

“My little spitfire.”

“Do you two need to get a room?” Derek asks to more laughter.

“We got one,” Gage says. “Right upstairs and no kids in the house. We’re heading there as soon as you people get out of our house. And it’s going to beloud.”

Iris covers her face with her hands. “Make it stop.”

After that, we descend into full-on chaos with drinks being refilled, dessert served and much more laughter as the talk of Team Tom Terrific T-shirts continues unabated.

I love them all so freaking much, it’s not even funny.

Tom

It’sboring without Lexi in the house. I, who lived on my own for years with no problem, now hate being home alone. Everything is better when she’s here, which I realized almost immediately after she moved in. My eighteen-year-old self knew exactly who he wanted, and not much has changed in the ensuing twenty years.

I take a call from Cora, who’s kept her promise to back off and give me some breathing room in recent days.

“Yes?”

“How about hello?”

“Okay, hello, dear sister, what do you want?”

“You’re a jerk.”

“You love me.”

“Do I, though?”

“Was there a purpose for this call?”

“To see how you’re doing, but it’s clear you’re fine.”

“I told you to quit your worrying.”

“Easier said than done.”

“Lexi and I stopped in to see Mom.”

“How was she?”

“The usual. Agitated and confused.”

Cora’s deep sigh says it all. We often wonder if the heavy burden Mom took on after Dad died led to her dementia. We’ll never know for sure, but we have our theories. “It was good of you to go.”

We all hate going there, knowing it won’t make an ounce of difference to her, but we do it anyway, no matter how much it hurts every time.

“How’s Lexi?”

“She’s good. Out with her Wild Widows tonight.”

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