“The academy? Police?” When she nods, I squeeze her hand. “Yes ma’am, I heard. He’s so smart. I heard he passed with honors.” I actually have no clue if that’s true, or if the police give those kinds of grades, as opposed to a pass or fail, but my words make her happy, so I don’t take them back. “He looks so handsome in his uniform, doesn’t he?”
“Oh, yes, he does. So handsome. He’s coming to visit me tonight. You should wait here, then you can eat with us.”
“Visit?” I hurriedly wipe my cheek on my shoulder before she sees the tears. “Riley’s coming to visit you tonight?”
“Of course! My mijo visits every single day, and brings me soup when I’m not feeling so well.”
“Are you feeling unwell today?”
She gives a sad shrug. “I’m feeling okay. I miss him when he works.”
This woman was so close to losing her son and never seeing his face again, but she has no clue. She doesn’t know he was fighting for his life, shot, operated on, and now sits in a hospital room with a heart filled with bitterness and a missing leg. She knows only the young cadet that graduated with good grades. She knows of the man that brings her soup, and wears a uniform handsomely, and probably has no clue it’s been more than three weeks since she saw him last.
He visits every single day.
Clearing my throat, I squeeze her hand and make plans to stay a couple hours. “It’s been a long shift, Mrs. Cruz, but he’s almost done. He’ll be here soon, I promise.”