Page 44 of The Omega Lesson

The grin melts off Bree’s face, her eyes going wide at the sudden tension in the room. Mattie looks ready to kill Richard, but I swallow back my own harsh words. I grew up in a house where my parents were cold and hostile to each other, and I promised I’d never inflict that on my own daughter.

“I’m pretty sure there’s puke purple in there somewhere,” Travis muses, staring straight at my daughter. “Although, it might be vomit violet now I think about it.”

My mouth drops open, while Bree squeals in delight and Richard looks like he’s about to swallow his tongue.

But before I can think of a response to that, Noah waltzes back into the room carrying one of the biggest stuffed monkeys I’ve ever seen. It has a cherry red ribbon around its neck, and as he places it on the end of my daughter’s bed, she starts hyperventilating with happiness. My poor heart melts all over again.

“I just popped over to the zoo,” he tells her, a cheeky sparkle in his eyes, “and I saw this handsome fella making a break for freedom. He told me he’s Curious George’s brother, and he asked if you might give him a home.”

“We’re not takingthatwith us…” Moira starts, but is cut off as the doctor steps into the room. He instantly nods to Travis, then turns his attention my way. Moira huffs, clearly miffed, and maybe I’m a little in love with the doctor too by this stage.

“Bree passed all our checks and can go home if you’d like, Miss Novak. We’re satisfied there’s no sign of concussion, but let her get a good night’s rest and call us if you have any concerns.” He takes a business card from his pocket and hands it to me. “Bring her back in three days and we can remove the splint and check she has full movement again.”

“Yes doctor,” Moira says, plucking the card from my fingers. “She lives with us, so we’ll be handling her aftercare.”

The doctor hands me another card without comment, and I manage to thank him for everything. Ten minutes later, they’re putting my little girl into a wheelchair and Moira is pushing her out of the room. But she shakes her head when Richard plucks the giant monkey off the bed. “That’s a nice gesture,” she says to Noah through pinched lips, “but unnecessary. Bree has plenty of toys at home.”

I can see my daughter’s lip start to wobble and I bob down by her chair, squeezing her good hand. “Don’t worry, Sweetpea. Mummy will look after him and put him in your bed at home, okay? You can play with him next weekend.”

“But I want himnow,” she whispers, forlorn.

Frustration wells up in me, but Travis takes the monkey out of Richard’s hands and looks at Noah. “Have you got room in the Maserati, or do you want me to take it? I have the Range Rover here.” He turns to give Moira a cool look. “This is my brother, Noah. Did you get a chance to meet him at the Summer Ball?”

Noah snorts, but gives an arrogant tilt of his head. “I’m sure she’d remember me if she did.”

I’ve never seen Moira speechless. Not even in the early days when I sat on her doorstep and begged her to give my husband back. But she’s gaping like a goldfish now, and I give Travis a grateful smile. “No need to take him, Mr. Lyall,” I say and grab the monkey. “He can ride home on my lap.”

“Lucky freaking monkey,” Noah coos, then drops to a knee to kiss my daughter’s hand. “I’m going to teach him to juggle bananas, so when you see him next, he can make you fruit salad.”

Complete nonsense that my daughter laps up like it’s honey on a spoon. “And can you cut my hair like yours? Pink is my favourite colour.”

Noah shoots me a sly look. “I thought it was cherry red, but your mummy loves pink. I was thinking about giving her a haircut like mine, so maybe we practice on her first.”

“No!” Bree squeals. “Mummy’s hair is the prettiest in the world. Daddy says so.”

I bite my lip at that, while Moira sends daggers in all directions. Somehow, we make it to the carpark without anyone dropping any more verbal bombs, although Travis leaves us at the door, a dozen medical people hovering around him. He’s still staring at my daughter as he turns away, and I wonder what he’s thinking. But then Bree is being lifted into Richard’s car. He’s frowning at me, a dozen questions in his eyes, but I just focus on settling her into her seat, and promising to see her soon. The kiss she leaves on my cheek feels like a burn and as the car backs out, one hand raised in a little wave, I have to bite back a sob.

But Mattie and Noah are there, along with a monkey that already smells like my daughter.

“Fuck,” I whisper as I bury my face in Mattie’s chest. “Can you please just take me home?”

I don’t see the look they exchange, but I can feel it. And then Noah is murmuring in my ear, “Whatever it takes. We don’t stop ‘til Sweetpea’s back where she belongs.”

Lexi

I carry Noah’s promise around with me as I change out of my work clothes and finish up marking some essays. Mattie put a huge glass of wine into my hands as soon as we got home, while Noah tucked the new monkey into Bree’s bed. It’s hard enough going into her room when she’s not here, but after seeing her in the hospital, I feel like I’m jumping out of my skin. When I knock the glass over, splattering wine on a bunch of essays, Noah plucks my red pen out of my hand and proclaims I’m a danger to literacy everywhere. He scoops me off the couch and carries me into the bathroom, while Mattie dumps a bath bomb into my clawfoot tub. Music pours out of the speaker on the vanity and when I’m up to my neck in bubbles, he hands me a refreshed glass of wine.

“You don’t have to be strong about this, babe,” he tells me as he sits on the edge of the bath and brushes my hair back. “You can scream, stew, or cry your eyes out. It’s all good.”

“I just can’t believe she’s not here,” I whisper, biting my lip. “She should be with her mum when she’s hurt.Ishould be the one watching over her, and taking her back for her check-up.”

“I’ll get Ian to call you as soon as he’s seen her,” Noah says from the doorway. “Or we can go in, too. Nothing’s stopping us, sweetheart. Travis pretty much built that hospital from the ground up.”

I rest my head back against Mattie’s thigh as I study Noah. “I didn’t know you guys did stuff like that.”

“Our mum got cancer pretty young. Travis was the closest to her, and it messed him up watching her suffer. He sits on the board of hospitals, research institutes, charities… It helps in times like these, but he was still a dick about your heat.”

I shake my head. “What he did for Bree – what you all did – means so much to me. She’s already half in love with you guys.”

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