Page 27 of Zane

“You don’t get along?”

“Not really.” Rori paused. “You know how there are some parents who, when they split up, fight over who gets to keep the kid?” Kelsey nodded. “Well, in my case, they fought over whohadto take me.”

That hadn’t been Kelsey’s experience, but she understood not having a relationship with parents. “I don’t have much communication with my mom, either.”

“It was hard for a lot of years, but God has brought other mother-figures into my life, for which I’m grateful.”

The descent of the plane drew Kelsey’s attention to the window once again. She glanced at Zane and saw that he was also looking out the window, but she could tell from his profile that he was frowning.

She knew it had never been his desire to return to Serenity, and yet, there they were. Preparing to call Serenity their home for the foreseeable future.

Once the plane was on the ground and stopped, they were allowed to disembark. Blake was there to meet them, and soon they were loading everything into his van. Kelsey and Rori once again climbed into the back, then Zane and his mom took the middle row.

“I’m glad you’ll be here to keep me company,” Rori said. “The house would be big and lonely if I were here by myself.”

Her words were a reminder of how different everything would be for the time being. She was a wife without a husband. Like Rori, she was lonely without her husband, but at least Rori’s separation had an end in sight.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Are you sure you want to move?” his mom asked, worry lacing her tone. Worry always laced her tone these days.

“Yes, Mom,” Zane said. “We agreed that I’d stay with you a week, then move to Lee’s. It’s been a week. I’m doing better, so I think it’s time.”

“You’re still not remembering anything, though.”

It wasn’t a reminder he needed or wanted, but his lack of memory wasn’t physically impairing him the way his broken leg did. Thankfully, he’d gotten used to using the crutches, and his ribs didn’t hurt as much as they had when he’d first started using them to get around.

“Staying here isn’t necessarily going to help with my memory,” Zane said. At that point, he wasn’t sure that anything would.

“Is it because of Kelsey?”

For some reason, she was still really struggling with Kelsey’s presence in his life and in Serenity. Zane hadn’t spent any time with Kelsey since their arrival in Serenity. His mom had been insistent that he rest since he was still having pain and headaches.

He hadn’t even been able to help when Lee and the others had returned with the moving van full of his and Kelsey’s stuff. Aside from the suitcase she’d packed for him in Florida, they’d put everything else in storage, and Zane wasn’t sure when it would ever be needed again.

“It’s not because of Kelsey.” And it really wasn’t. He’d want to make the move even if she wasn’t there. He just needed to feellike he had some control over his life, and living with his parents didn’t really give him that option. “I appreciate your help, but I need some space. It’s not like I’m leaving town.”

“I’m just worried about you.”

“I understand, but I’m getting better every day. More able to do stuff for myself.”

“You always were an independent one.”

He gave her a quick smile. “You raised me to be that way.”

“I know,” she said with a sigh as his dad slipped his arm around her shoulder. “I just wish you weren’t exerting that independence right now.”

“I’m not going far. We’re still in the same town.”

A knock on the front door, then the sound of it opening, interrupted their conversation.

“Hey, Lee,” his dad said as Lee walked into the kitchen.

Lee greeted each of his parents with a hug. “I’m surprised you’re not handcuffed to something, Zane.”

“I’m not that bad,” his mom said with a huff of laughter. “But Iamreluctant to let him go.”

“We’ll take good care of him,” Lee assured her. “And you know that you can drop by whenever you want.”

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