A knock sounded on my window, and I jumped.
“It’s just me,” Serena said. “Sorry.”
I pushed open my door. “I was lost in my own world.”
“I should’ve made more noise.”
She looked so unsure, worry creasing her face. It was all I needed to pull her into my arms. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Ser.”
Her body shook as she cried. “You, too. How’s Boden?”
“Driving me up the wall, so he must be healing.”
She laughed through her tears. “I love you, Laik. I’m sorry I lost so much time with you by being a bitch. I missed you.”
“I missed you, too. We’ve got all the time in the world now.”
Serena released me but took my hand. “We do. Mom’s getting some hot chocolate and bringing it out to the front porch.”
It was cold, but the sun was shining brightly, and I was glad that I wouldn’t have to venture inside the house quite yet. “Sounds good.”
Serena led me up the front steps just as the door opened. Chip held a ceramic pitcher while Kay followed him with a tray of mugs. As soon as Kay laid eyes on me, hers began to fill with tears. “Laiken.”
“Hi,” I croaked.
She set down the tray on a table and moved towards me. I thought she’d hug me, but she stopped herself. “I’m so sorry. For so many things.”
“We all are.” It was the most truth I could give her.
Chip wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “How’s Boden doing?”
“He’s good. They should release him from the hospital in the next couple of days.”
He’d need physical therapy, and his movie had been delayed, but he was alive. And that was what mattered.
“Want to sit?” Kay offered.
“Sure.” I lowered myself to one of the rockers, Serena taking the one next to me.
Kay clasped her hands tightly in her lap. “I didn’t know. Had no idea she’d fixated like that.”
“It’s not your fault, Mom,” Serena said. She turned to me. “Gilly was feeding Mom medications she shouldn’t have been on. It took us a few days to figure it out. We’re guessing she thought she was helping numb her pain but—”
“It was making me lose my mind.” Kay let out a shaky breath. “I can’t believe some of the things I said, Laiken. You’ll never know how sorry I am. I want more than anything for you to be happy. It’s what Jase would want, too. If this Boden does that, then he’s an answer to our prayers.”
My throat and eyes burned. “I don’t want to hurt you—”
“Oh, honey.” Kay leapt from her chair and came to me, sinking to her knees and enveloping me in a hug. “Seeing you happy and thriving would never do that. Never.”
“Thank you. I’m so sorry about Gilly.”
“Me, too.” She held tightly to me for one more moment and then let me go, pushing to her feet and settling back in her rocker. “I never told any of you kids because it was so painful, but Gilly was in a car accident when she was younger. She hadn’t had her license long and skidded on some black ice. It was a bad accident, and our little brother was in the car.”
Kay wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “He didn’t make it.”
“Kay, I’m so sorry.”
“Me, too. It wrecked our parents. He was so young at the time. Only nine. A surprise baby when they’d thought they were done. I named our Jase after him. Maybe that was a mistake—”