Page 42 of Roman

Or maybe Roman’s family simply hadn’t loved him enough to combat their own fear.

He pulled himself out of his bitter recollections and focused again on the pair next to him.

“And where is Gabe today?” he heard Gladys ask.

He watched a shadow pass over Danny’s eyes for the first time since they had stepped outside. “He’s out with friends, Mama.”

“That boy. So popular.” She gave a fond sigh at the thought. “Do you really think he wants to be a doctor? Maybe he should run for office instead.”

Danny gave a little laughing cough. “I think the doctor thing might stick.”

“And do you still want to be a nurse, Danny Boy?”

“Yes, Mama.”

“Good. I think you’ll be so good at it. My tenderhearted boy.” She smiled at her son.

Roman watched as Danny suddenly stopped his mother in her tracks and pulled her into a tight hug. He could see the tears welling in his mate’s eyes, but Danny blinked them away quickly.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Danny’s mother said, leaning into the hug. “I hope you never grow up too much to give me hugs like this.”

“Never, Mama,” Danny replied thickly.

They finished their walk leisurely and then brought Gladys back to her room, where Danny pulled in an extra chair so the three of them could watch TV together.

Eventually Gladys became fatigued enough that even Roman’s compulsion couldn’t keep her present with them, and he and Danny decided wordlessly to leave while things were still good, to not end the day with bad memories.

As they left, the young attendant back at Gladys’s side, Mary called out to them, “I heard she had quite a turnaround.” She smiled brightly at Roman. “You must be a good-luck charm.”

They made it all the way into the car before Danny burst into tears.

Roman pushed his own seat back and pulled the boy out of the passenger seat, over the console, and into his arms. Once he had Danny settled firmly in his lap, he simply let the boy cry, rubbing his back.

His demon grew restless at their mate’s distress, but Roman reassured it,Humans just need to cry sometimes.

When the tears had finally subsided, Roman had to ask, “Was I wrong to do that? I thought it would be a-a kind of gift. But I fear I hurt you.”

“No!” Danny cried, pulling back to look at Roman. His mate’s eyes were red and swollen, his face puffy from crying, but he was still the loveliest creature Roman had ever seen. “You didn’t hurt me. It’s just the whole…situation hurts. Always. It’s been so long since I had my mom really…there with me. I didn’t think it would ever happen again.” He gave a sniff. “I can’t believe you did that for me. For us.”

He started pressing fervent kisses to Roman’s face. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

For the first time, Roman had used his abilities for something…pure. To make someone else happy. He was alarmed by how good it made him feel. Less like the monster stealing the handsome prince away and more like a man with something to actually offer.

After pressing a final kiss to Roman’s nose, Danny tucked his head into Roman’s shoulder, rubbing his face lightly against his shirt.

“There was a time, after my dad died, when Gabe and I were really close.” Danny’s voice was slightly muffled, but Roman could still make out the words. “I have memories of following him everywhere and him letting me. But by the time he was in high school, he had pushed me away again, and it was just me and my mom. We’d make each other laugh all the time. She was silly and loving and so smart. She was my best friend, really.”

Roman could see it clearly after the visit today. The love and closeness between the two. He hugged Danny even closer as his mate continued.

“I went to nursing school here in town so I could stay close. I worried about leaving her all alone—Gabe rarely even came home from school to visit. I figured after I graduated, I’d get to spread my wings, maybe try travel nursing. She could visit me on my assignments. Then, when I was in nursing school, she started getting forgetful. Little things at first but then enough that I started getting worried. And for the first time, we were fighting—she’d get so frustrated and embarrassed when I pointed out her memory issues, and I didn’t know how to get her to take it all seriously. It took me so long to convince her to go to a doctor, and even after we got the diagnosis, she was in denial. She made me wait to tell Gabe. And even when we finally did…” Danny sighed, his hot breath gusting over Roman’s chest. “I guess with residency and everything, he had enough going on. It was like it never really registered for him? He did tell me I should let him know if it got worse. But the thing is it was always getting worse. Slowly but surely. I couldn’t pinpoint what to tell him, so I just…dealt with it.”

Roman’s poor mate. Suffering alone for so long. His brother had a lot to answer for, as far as Roman was concerned.

“And then eventually she got bad enough,” Danny continued. “She started going out and getting lost, refusing to do basic things like shower. I was working by then, and the doctor told me she needed routine and supervision. More than I could provide. So we decided on Brookstone. I felt so guilty, and then it was so expensive I had to work more to cover the cost, and it felt like all of a sudden she didn’t even remember me anymore when I visited.”

Danny pulled back to look at Roman, and his heart broke at the despair in his mate’s eyes. “If she had stayed with me. If-if I had quit work and taken care of her instead, would she have remembered me longer?”

Roman reached out and cupped Danny’s face. “Sweet, lovely boy. You know it does not work in that way. You did what had to be done for her to receive proper care. And you found her a good place. Acaringplace. I can see that. Her memories of you were bound to be lost no matter how close you stayed. It is the sad truth of her condition. You could not change that.”

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