My jaw fell. “I’ll do my absolute best to keep him comfortable.”
With an almost smile, William turned to his wife. “Come on, Caroline, the helicopter’s waiting,” he said, handing Harrison back to Grayson.
After William and Caroline uttered their goodbyes to the family, three sets of eyes whirled my way.
“You’re staying?” Josie’s dimpled grin lit up the room.
My smile was tight. “Yes.”
“But Adam said…” Her voice trailed off as Grayson tugged her out of the room. “Come on, Jos. Harry needs a bath.”
As they disappeared up the stairs, Adam shifted closer. “You changed your mind.”
I cleared my throat as I stepped back, keeping a safe distance. “I had to.”
“And you’re okay with missing Christmas with your son?”
“No, I’m not okay with it,” I snapped unexpectedly. “But my life is complicated. It’s full of twists and turns, and just when I think it’s going in the right direction…bam! I fall.”
“Cass…”
“I’m sorry,” I said breathlessly. “I just need some space.”
He instinctively reached out. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
My lower lip quivered as I stared at his hand. “There are worse things than missing Christmas with my son, Adam. I can deal with this.”
As Adam’s frown deepened, I pivoted on my heel and jogged back up the stairs where my heart caught up with my head and emerged in an onslaught of tears.
24
Thankfully, the lead-up to the Christmas break was quiet, and without the family around, I was able to focus on Liam. Now that everything was finalized for his inevitable passing, I concentrated my efforts on reducing his pain and giving him the comfort he craved while his family was gone. I read to him, performed more Reiki, and exhausted myself to sleep every night to distract myself from the crushing reality of missing Finn.
Grayson, Josie, and Harrison were first to arrive on the Friday before Christmas. They left the city early to avoid the holiday traffic, along with their enormous dog, Luci.
“Want to go for a walk around the grounds?” Josie asked once Liam had fallen asleep that afternoon. “The light is spectacular outside, and I’m dying to capture it.”
I smiled at the camera in her hands and her eager grin. “Sure. I’d love that.”
While Luci bounded around the puddles of melted snow, Josie giggled. “He’s such a goofball,” she said, taking another photo of her dog. “He loves coming here.”
“I don’t blame him. I mean, these grounds, the house…” I gushed. “Everything is so beautiful.”
Josie’s smile faded as she gazed up at the house. “It’ll be weird when Gramps is gone.”
“What will happen to the property?”
“It’ll stay in the family, but I can’t imagine any of us living here full time. Grayson’s parents live in Bel Air when they’re not traveling. We love living in Manhattan. And Adam lives…well, at work mostly.” She sighed. “I guess it will turn into one of the many Harlow vacation properties.”
“At least you’ll have a special place to spend Christmas every year.”
“You’re right. There are so many more memories to make here.”
“And I bet you’ll capture every one of them.” I smiled as Josie took another photo of her dog rolling in the mud.
“Oh, I plan to. This family doesnottake enough photos.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll fix that. Photos are important.” If only I had taken more of Dom.