Page 66 of Restless
“Then, you must not consider Diesel a part of your family, honey,” Tabitha retorted.
“Rebel, shut your fucking mouth,” Diesel warned before she could blast his bitch. “Tabitha, get the fuck out of here. There’s enough fucking bullshit without you rehashing old shit.”
“Dieselis a part of my family,” Rebel said, ignoring his orders. “You aren’t. That clear enough for you, dumb bitch?”
Tabitha raised her hand to strike Rebel, but Diesel jerked her away.
“Hit me, Tabitha,” Rebel snarled. “I fucking dare you. We’d fucking fight up and down this motherfucker—”
The door to her mother’s room opened. “What the fuck…Reb, whatcha doin’ here?”
Rebel stalked past her father. “I’m finally coming to see Momma, and Diesel is here to take you to the nursery, so…Momma.” She froze.
“Hi, my love,” Momma said, sitting in a chair between the two beds. It was a good angle to watch the TV without obstruction, though, at the moment, the screen was dark. She was still pale and hooked up to monitors and IVs, but she wasn’t lying down, barely lucid or completely sedated.
“Momma.” All at once, every mean, horrible word she’d spoken to her mother rushed back to Rebel, and she burst into tears. “I’m so sorry,” she cried. “I’m so, so sorry. I never meant what I said. Forgive me, please. I’m so sorry.”
Her mother had been so horribly ill, she hadn’t had a chance to apologize to her. She wasn’t sure she’d even properly apologized to her father. All she knew was that he’d forgiven her.
“Come here, Rebel.” Momma opened her arms. “All’s forgiven, darling.”
Sobbing, she ran to her mother and knelt in front of her before hugging her neck and leaning against her shoulder. When Momma wrapped Rebel in her arms, it was one of the best feelings of Rebel’s life.
“I would never have forgiven myself if I’d lost you and Jo.”
Momma threaded her fingers through Rebel’s hair. “What happened to me wasn’t your fault, Rebel.”
“The stress I caused—”
“Shhhhh. None of it. It was a combination of factors that culminated in that moment.”
“I don’t know if I can ever make up for my behavior.”
“There’s no making up, Rebel,” Momma said fiercely. “I think you’ve suffered enough these past weeks. We learn from it and move on.”
“I love you so much, Momma, and Jo’s beautiful. Have you seen her yet?”
“Tomorrow,” Momma said wistfully.
Rebel straightened and glanced toward where she’d last seen her father. “Daddy, Uncle Mort—”
“Christopher left when you first spotted me, honey. I think he wanted to give us privacy.”
“Uncle Mort’s going to bring us food so we can all eat in here.”
“Roxy said she cooked red beans and rice, along with bread pudding and rum sauce yesterday. I wonder if he’s bringing leftovers.”
“No, it’s sandwiches. Soup for you.”
Momma wrinkled her nose.
“Megan Caldwell, you’ve been surviving on IVs. Solids will have to be reintroduced slowly.”
“I know,” Momma said on a sigh. “Maybe, your daddy will give me a small bite of his sandwich.”
“Perhaps, but he needs to eat.”
Momma nodded. “He has lost a lot of weight.”
