“Really, Liam, you’re going to make me late.” She rises from her seat. “I love you, bye.” She kisses my hair and rushes over to the couch for a bag I can only hope is hers because she pulls papers out and starts writing.
She didn’t work before she came here. I don’t remember her ever having a job, but I continue the rest of the puzzle as I steal a few glances at her and she looks focused on whatever she thinks she’s doing so I don’t join her when I finish the puzzle.
I'm still watching her when Capri comes next to me. “Will you be joining us for lunch?” She sounds hopeful, but I shake my head as I rise from my seat.
“I should go.”
“You don’t need to.”
I look down at Capri, and she’s watching my mom with a smile. “She’s the CEO of a different business every day.”
Miss CEO now has a phone to her ear. I look at Capri in confusion, and she reassures me that the phone only works with the people in the house, so the only people she can talk to are the nurses.
“Thank you for everything, Pri.” I walk over to my mom before she can reply, and just as I do, she looks like she’s about to lose her shit.
“Liam!”
“Mom!” I fake my surprise, but it’s dripped in a dry tone, and it only confuses her more or maybe makes her angrier, I’m not sure.
“Sweetheart, please, okay? I’m very busy right now.”
“I’m sure you are.”
She sent me a pointed look, and I’m honestly surprised she picked up on my sarcasm.
“I was just leaving. I came to say bye.”
“Oh.” She stops shuffling her papers and just looks around at all of them like she’s trying to make sense of something. “If you really would rather be out with your friends than help me with Shanti, then that’s fine.”
“What?” I feel my blood run cold and it’s like I’m seventeen all over again and we’re having that same fight.
“Now she’s crying.” She shakes her head and turns for something but stops to say something else. “I’m not going to stop you from going to this party, Liam. It’s New Year's, and you want to be with your friends, I get it, okay? I–”
“You were seventeen once, too. I know, Mom.”
She studies me, and I say what I wish I had said that day. “I’m not going to that stupid New Year's party. I’m going to stay here with you and Shanti.”
Her smile is back, and when she pulls me in for a hug, I feel my mouth suddenly dry. I clear my throat and hug my mom. Letting my eyes fall shut, I take in a breath of her flowery scent, but then she pulls away too soon and walks off.
I don’t know if she’s really stuck reliving that day again, but I decided to stay for lunch in case she is because I need her to think I stayed with her that night.
Halfway through lunch, though, she asks who I am, and I respond with a tight smile before I get up to leave.
I’m just about to reach the door when I hear Capri from behind me. “Will you be at the next family night?”
I stall but don't turn to face her as I try to imagine how that would go. If she’s angry with me the entire time, it won’t be fun for either of us, and if she doesn’t even remember me, then I would rather not come at all.
Before she got sick, we were really close, and before we lost Shanti, we were even closer, but now… It’s just too hard to be around her, and I’m giving it my best shot, but it’s not enough.
“I have a lot of back-to-back games at the start of the season.”
I hear her sigh from behind me, but she doesn’t push anymore.
“But I’ll try to come.” When I turn around, Capri is watching me with a hopeful smile, and when I glance behind her, my mom laughs at something one of the nurses says.
I watch her smile for a few seconds, but when my chest suddenly feels heavy, I walk out in a hurry.
It's not raining anymore as I slip my helmet on, and I soak the freeing feeling as I speed down the street.
