Lisa let out a soft chuckle. I knew the love I felt for Noah was clear in my words to his mother. I could see it in her eyes she knew how much I loved her son. Noah was our instant tie to each other. The common ground between us. I also knew if Lisa wasn’t dying, we would have most likely become very close.
“I love him. I’ll love him forever. I promise you.”
Nodding her head, Lisa wiped another tear away. “Thank you, Grace. Thank you.”
“Thank you for raising such an amazing man.”
Lisa’s eyes sparkled as she nodded her head in agreement. There was a light knock on the door as I said, “Come in.”
Noah and Emily walked in with Grayson following behind them. Noah glanced between his mother and me. I could tell he was nervous, unsure of what was said. “Everything okay in here?”
Letting out a soft laugh, Lisa held her hand out for Noah. “I wanted to get to know Grace a little better, and it’s hard with everyone standing around listening to us talk.”
Noah’s eyes drifted over to me. They were filled with uncertainty as he looked back at his mother and to me again. Smiling, I attempted to seem normal, but my mind was all over the place. Why did Lisa think Noah was taking pills? Was Noah taking pills? Would he lose it when his mother died? What if I was in College Station and he was here . . . alone?
Trying to push my fears away, I stood and stepped away from Lisa’s bed as she visited with her children and her nephew. Feeling my phone go off in my pocket, I excused myself and headed out to the small waiting room by the elevators.
Closing my eyes, I leaned against the wall as I pulled my phone out and read the text. It was a message from Alex asking how everything was going.
Slipping the phone back into my pocket, I fought to hold my tears back. Just when it felt like I had gotten Noah back, a nagging feeling told me I was going to be in for one hell of a fight to keep him.
Noah
My eyes never left Grace as she walked out of my mother’s room. What had they talked about? Was it good? Surely my mother liked Grace. Emily had told me to settle down as I paced back and forth the entire time Grace was alone with my mother.
Not knowing where Grace had gone off to, I excused myself and went to find her.
Seeing a nurse walking toward me, I smiled as I asked, “Excuse me, ma’am. Have you seen the girl I came in with earlier?”
Giving me a polite smile in return, she nodded and said, “She headed toward the elevators.”
Feeling my heart drop, I thanked the nurse and quickly made my way to the elevators.
Shit. What did my mother say that would make Grace leave?
As I rounded the corner, I searched frantically for Grace. Pushing the button for down, I pulled my phone out and sent Grace a text.
Me: Hey. Is everything okay? You disappeared on me.
Staring at my phone, I jumped when the elevator doors opened and Grace spoke.
“Hey, I’m sorry I disappeared like that.”
My eyes met hers as I searched them to see if she was okay. “Grace, whatever my mother said to upset you, I’m so sorry.”
Grace pulled her head back in confusion as she narrowed her eyebrows at me. “Your mother didn’t say anything to upset me. I got a text from Alex, and I needed some air to think.”
“To think?” I asked.
Grace stepped off the elevator as I took a step back. It didn’t take long for her to give me that smile that melted my insides. “Yes, to think.”
Grace’s smile faded as she looked intently in my eyes. “Noah, I’m not really sure how to ask this, but, I have to ask.”
Not knowing where Grace was going with this, I swallowed hard and motioned for her to sit in the chair. Grace sat and chewed on her bottom lip.
“Grace, you’re kind of freaking me out here. What’s going through your head?”
Grace took my hands in hers and kissed the back of each one. “Nothing is wrong, I’m sorry I worried you. It’s just, after talking to your mother, I got to thinking. Noah, how long have the doctors given your mother to live?”
Feeling tears threaten to build, I closed my eyes and counted to ten. Opening my eyes, I said, “About a month. Maybe two.”
Grace slowly nodded her head. “Why isn’t your mom at home?”
Standing quickly, I walked away from Grace. Did she really honestly think I wanted to see my mother die in a fucking hospital and not in her own home where she wanted to be? I could feel her following me as I made my way to the elevator and hit the button for down. The doors opened as I stepped in and Grace followed.
Neither one of us said a word as we rode to the first floor. The moment the fresh air hit my face, I sucked in a deep breath.