Page 26 of Wrong Number. Right Don.
The moment I wheel my mother through the front doors of the hospital, relief crashes over me. She’s finally out of this hellhole. The worst of this nightmare has passed. Weeks, or maybe months, of recovery still lie ahead, but she’s alive, alert, and already dishing out the gentle admonishments only a mother can. Sasha trails behind us, one hand gripping the suitcase handle, the other clutching the car keys, his gaze locked on Mom the entire time.
“You boys are fussing too much,” she mutters, patting my arm as I adjust her coat. “I had a small stroke, that’s all.”
“You say that like you didn’t scare the hell out of us.” I bend to meet her gaze. “We thought we were going to lose you.”
Her expression softens, yet pride still creases her brow.
“I am sorry you thought that, Sergei. But you did not. It will take more than that to take me out.”
I chuckle, brushing a knuckle over her cheek. “And I plan to keep it that way, which is why I’ve hired a live-in nurse to take care of you.”
Her brows rise. “You did not need to do that. The last thing we need is some nervous little thing flitting around the house and telling me what I can and can’t eat.”
“Yes, I did,” I say firmly. “And I didn’t hire some ‘nervous little thing.’ For you, Mom, I only hired the best. You remember Nicole?”
She takes a moment to think about it, then smiles softly. “That pretty blonde nurse? The one who talked to me when she thought I was sleeping?”
I glance at Sasha, who smirks behind the wheel as we slide into the backseat beside her. “That’s the one. I convinced her to leave the hospital and take care of you full-time. She starts today.”
“She’ll be taking care of me at the house?” she asks, as weary of the hospital as we are.
“She moved in this morning,” I tell her. “Everything is already arranged.”
She falls quiet for a long beat, eyes flicking between the two of us as we ease out of the hospital parking lot and onto the main road.
“You fuss over me too much,” she grumbles again. “You boys spoil me. Back in Russia they’d have left me out in the cold and let the elements finish the job.”
Sasha chuckles. “You haven’t lived in the old country since you were a child, Mom. How would you know?”
The ride is slow, made slower by the afternoon traffic snaking through the city, but I don’t mind. I watch the way my mother gazes out the window, her hand curled in mine, her eyes a little heavier than usual. Though she’s only been in the hospital a few days, it has felt like a lifetime. I wasn’t sure this day would come,and now that it has, I plan to make damn sure she doesn’t have a single thing to worry about.
By the time we pull into the mansion’s gate, I’m already scanning for Nicole. The security team confirmed she checked in by three, the time we agreed she would arrive. Anxiety builds in my chest, and I tell myself it’s only because I want this to go smoothly.
Sasha parks at the front entrance and jumps out. He opens the passenger door and steadies Mom with a hand as she steps down. I fall in beside them, my hand instinctively pressed to her back as we guide her up the steps.
The butler swings the doors wide, revealing Nicole standing with the rest of the staff, ready to assist at a moment’s notice. Her hair is pulled into a neat ponytail, and she’s wearing bright floral scrubs. I’m not sure how much she and Mom spoke at the hospital, or whether the floral print is deliberate, but I do know Mama adores fresh flowers.
“Mrs.Volkova,” she greets my mother with a bright smile. “Welcome home.”
My mother’s face lights up in a way I’ve never seen before. Already some of that anxiety eases and I know I’ve done the right thing.
“Hello, mysolnyshko,” she says, reaching out to touch Nicole’s arm, herlittle sun. “It is so lovely to have you here with us. Don’t tell anyone, but you were my favorite nurse.”
Nicole’s smile deepens. “It’ll be our little secret,” she whispers conspiratorially. “And now that you’re back in the comfort of your own home, we’ll get you back in fighting shape in no time.”
“Good. These boys need a proper whooping,” Mom jokes. “My son set this all up?”
“Sergei did,” Nicole says, glancing up at me briefly before turning her attention back to my mother. “He wanted the best care for you.”
Mom harumphs, but I know she’s secretly pleased.
“They fuss over me too much,” she says, releasing Sasha and me to loop her arm through Nicole’s. “But you are a delightful addition. They get it right every once in a while.”
Our mother shoots us a look before Nicole guides her inside with effortless grace. I follow silently, listening to them talk as if they’re old friends from college. Sasha bumps my shoulder as we step into the foyer.
“I see your game, brother. Respect.” He chuckles, his eyes trained on Nicole.
I glance at him. “What are you talking about?”
