Page 60 of Sunny Skies Ahead
The woman pulled him into a hug before turning her attention to me. “You must be the assistant.”
She waggled her eyebrows, much to Kam’s chagrin, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m Imogen,” I said, extending a hand towards her. “Imogen Phillips.”
To my surprise, she took my hand and then pulled me in for a hug. I let out an “oof” of surprise but returned the hug. If Kameron was comfortable with her, I felt like I could be, too. She released me and I tucked a stray curl behind my ear, suddenly feeling out of place.
“This is Gail,” Kameron said with a gentle smile. “She’s the director here, and a longtime family friend.”
“It’s wonderful to meet you,” I said. Gail gestured for the two of us to follow her.
“She’s in the common room with some of the other residents,” Gail said.
“How has she been today?” Kameron asked as we walked.
Gail smiled as she looked back over her shoulder. “She’s having a good morning. She wasn’t fully lucid upon waking, but I wouldn’t be surprised if your presence helped her return to the present moment.”
We rounded a corner, and my breath caught at the wall of windows overlooking the mountainside. There were several tables and various seating arrangements. Some had board games or books laid out. We approached a woman sitting in the chair overlooking the mountains beyond. Kameron’s breath hitched, and I knew that this woman was Lilliana.
“Hi, Mom,” Kameron said gently. The woman didn’t turn to face him, but I could have sworn her posture relaxed slightly at Kameron’s presence.
Kameron took the empty seat beside Lilliana. I hung back, perfectly happy to stand nearby as emotional support for Kameron.
“It’s Kameron,” he said. “I’m going to sit with you for a bit.”
“That’s fine,” Lilliana said, turning to face him. “You look familiar.”
Kameron’s expression shuttered briefly, but he kept a gentle smile on his face. Gail squeezed my shoulder gently, and I nearly jumped out of my skin, having forgotten she was there.
“I need to head back to my office for a meeting, but let me know if you need anything,” Gail said. “I hope your visit goes well. It was lovely to meet you, Imogen. Kam is a wonderful man, and I’m happy he’s found someone to share his time with.”
“Oh, we’re not—”
But Gail was already walking away, and whatever retort I had died on my lips. I had a suspicion denying my growing feelings for Kameron would have been futile anyway, based on how protective Gail seemed of him.
I turned my attention to Kameron and his mom, watching as Lilliana reached out a hand to stroke his face gently. My heart leaped as her eyes widened.
“Kameron,” she repeated, her eyes scanning his face. “My boy. You’re my boy.”
Kameron’s lips trembled as he smiled. “Hey, Mom.”
“My goodness,” Lilliana said, sitting back in her chair and looking Kameron over. She shook her head a few times, as if trying to clear the last of the fog from her head. “You’ve been in the gym.”
Kameron let out a wet laugh and nodded.
“I try to stay in shape.”
“I remember,” Lilliana murmured. “Do you still have the farm?”
“Yes,” Kameron said, and my heart sped up. She was here with him. I’d hoped she would be lucid even for a few minutes of our visit, and she was. “Things are going really well. Amazing, actually.”
“And your friends?”
“Connor and Lucas still work with me,” Kameron said. “Connor got married recently, to a girl from his hometown that he’s loved his entire life.”
“That sounds dreamy,” Lilliana said, smiling wistfully. “I remember those early days of love. How perfect everything seemed. How easy it was to believe the dark days would never come.”
The expression on Kameron’s face crushed something inside me.
