Page 32 of Restless
“One fuckin’ question,” Dad interrupted.
Panic settled into CJ, and he stared at Mom, widening his eyes in their special way of silent communication.
“Oh, um, Molly’s really hungry, Christopher—”
“Who’d win? Twenty bodybuilders on steroids with plastic bats or one blood lusted Silverback?”
Dad transferred his filthy look from Molly to CJ, opened his mouth to speak, then stalked out of the room.
“I’d say the bodybuilders, hands down,” Molly announced. “That gorilla wouldn’t stand a chance against those plastic bats.”
“Shut the fuck up, Molly, and come eat,” Dad roared from the hallway.
“You’re lucky I’m hungry, Mr. CJ’s Dad,” Molly huffed, stomping out of the room.
“I’m hungry, too, Dad,” CJ called.
“Starve,” Dad snapped.
CJ grinned. Waiting a moment to make sure Dad or Molly wouldn’t return, he went to his mother and hugged her for the first time in days. He thought it would be easy, but she’d lost a lot of weight and felt as fragile as Jo looked.
Today, Mom’s overriding smell of medicine and sweat didn’t suppress the softer cherry blossom scent he always associated with her.
“You washed your hair.”
“Your daddy helped me to shower.”
Heat rose in CJ’s cheeks. “Oh.”
“He’s helped me before. We’re married.”
“I know, Mom. It’s…this was your first shower since…?”
“I was getting sponge baths, potato. I was too weak to shower.”
“You kept your hair braided.”
“Christopher plaited my hair. He combed it today.”
Finally releasing his mom, he straightened and stared at her. “Dad knows how to comb your hair?”
“Hasn’t he styled your sister’s hair?”
“Yeah.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Are you okay? I was so scared I’d lost you. I-I-I mean,we’d…Dadlost you.”
“It’s okay, son,” she said. “I’m your mother, first and foremost.”
“You’re Dad’s wife first and foremost.”
“Yes,” Mom said softly, her smile tender. “And I’d die to save your daddy, as long as none of you were at risk.”
“I feel so stupid,” he admitted. “Like a little baby, Mom. A beta boy.”
“Omigod, you’ve had another run in with Ryan?”
It crossed CJ’s mind to tell her about Bash, but he decided against worrying her or Dad. Right now, everyone’s concern focused on his mother and baby sister. Well, everyone except Uncle Johnnie, who barely visited.
Could he trust that stupid motherfucker? CJ had as much faith in Uncle Johnnie as he had in Ryan, but someone needed to know if only to help Molly.
