“That’s because you do all the cooking, babe.” I gesture a kiss.
“We’re going shopping today to furnish Mom’s apartment. Do you want to come?” Aiden asks happily.
“Absolutely… I love shopping.”
“Now, are you sure you want to do this, Mom?”
“I’m sure, honey. It’s time.” Callie nods and smiles, placing her hand on top of Aiden’s.
“Guess we’d better drop by the house to pick up a few things, then?”
Callie winces. “I don’t know if I’m ready to see your father.”
“But won’t you need some of your things?” Aiden questions.
Callie’s eyes fill with tears as her body tenses. I know she’s struggling with the thought of seeing Niall, so I say, “I’ll get whatever you need. Write me a list. Aiden, if you’ll take me there, I can pick up everything Callie needs.”
Her bottom lip quivers. “You would do that for me?” A single tear rolls down her cheek.
“Of course, I will, Callie. You’re like my second mom, and I’d do anything to help you.”
She stands and walks around to hug me. I embrace her back, and Aiden mouths, ‘thank you.’
After breakfast, I send off a quiet text to Bree to check on her without anyone knowing. I didn’t want to bring up the incident with Callie around, so I did it on the sly. Bree’s doing okay, has the mother of all headaches, but is recovering fine this morning.
Cleaning up after breakfast, we head out to purchase items for Callie’s new apartment. We stop at several stores, picking out the essential furniture she will need as well as some accent pieces. It takes nearly all day, but we manage to find everything she requires with a few wants as well.
Aiden pays for it to be delivered immediately, so she has somewhere to call home.
Leaving the last store, we drive straight to the O’Connell mansion. As we drive up the driveway, Callie doesn’t say a word. Mike pulls up and turns the engine off.
“Mom, stay here. Don’t worry, we’ll get everything. It shouldn’t take us long,” Aiden advises.
She nods as we hop out of the car and then walk to the front door. We stand and wait for what seems like ages when no one answers the doorbell. Aiden rings it again and again. Still nothing. He looks at me with his eyebrow raised, and I know he’s thinking the same thing as me.
Something isn’t right.
He takes his keys out of his pocket and opens the front door.
The place is in darkness.
“Father?” Aiden calls out. “Father, are you here?”
He’s greeted with nothing but silence in return.
Looking around the door, I peer down the hallway to see a light coming from under his father’s study door. I point toward the room. We head to the doorway, and Niall’s sitting in his computer chair slouched over the desk with an empty bottle of whisky knocked over next to him. A tiny amount of sadness seeps into my veins for Niall. He obviously cares more than he lets on to get completely hammered and pass out like this.
Aiden exhales, shaking his head as he walks over to his father, lifting him off the desk.
“What? Who’s there?” Niall mumbles, the smell of alcohol lingering in the air.
“It’s me,” Aiden murmurs, leaning his father back on his chair.
It breaks my heart that Aiden’s family is falling apart around him.
Niall hesitantly opens his eyes, and they roll around in his head belligerently.
“Jeni, can you go and get Mom’s things?”