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“Yes,” I said. “Dad, I have a plan. I’ll pick up an, uh, overnight shift tonight, which will give me more money. I’ll take a week of holiday and book a cheap flight to California with some of the money. I can stay with Mom at the hospital while you work, so you don’t have to quit.”
“You can’t drop everything and leave work,” my dad said.
“No, I can. My boss is really great and understanding, and it’s not busy right now. It’s perfect timing, actually. I’ll book my flight tomorrow and -”
“No,” Dad said. “You shouldn’t come out here.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“One, I’ve already quit my job, and they’re not going to hire me back, so we’d both just be at the hospital with your mother, and two, your mother, well… she looks terrible right now, Riley. She’s very thin and sick looking. It’s why she hasn’t video chatted with you. She doesn’t want to worry you.”
“Okay, but I want to help and -”
“If you want to help, send us as much money as possible,” Dad said. “We can use it for expenses while I look after your mom.”
“I’m worried about you both,” I said softly. “It would be good for you to have a break as a caretaker, and I miss you and want to see you both. I don’t care if Mom doesn’t look healthy.”
“If you want to be a good daughter to her, then you’ll send money and not make her feel like she has to be happy and doing well, which she will do if you’re here,” my dad said. “She thinks she has to put on a brave face for you, Rye.”
“She doesn’t,” I said.
“You and I know that, but you know your mom.” My dad sighed again. “Look, can you just send us whatever you get from your second job and look into the 401k thing? I have to go, kiddo. Your mom needs me.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow morning, okay?” I said.
“Sure, sure,” he said. “Just call once you’ve sent the money. If your mom is awake, you can chat with her.”
“Okay, love you, Dad.”
“Love you, Riley.”
He ended the call, and I stared blankly at the falling snow before jumping to my feet and grabbing my purse. As I locked my apartment and headed downstairs, I tried to soothe the panic that held me in a tight grip. My mom would be fine. She was at the hospital, and they would give her antibiotics. I would talk to her tomorrow and convince her to let me come out to help her.
* * *
Deacon
I checked the time before looking out my office window. The driveway was empty, and I ignored my anxiety. Riley wasn’t due to arrive for our play session for another fifteen minutes, and I had no reason to suspect she wouldn’t show up, so why the fuck was I so jittery?
Maybe because you know something’s wrong? She acted off all day at the office.
I’d seen her a limited amount today, but the few times I’d seen her, she’d had a pinched look of worry that she couldn’t quite conceal.
A door slammed, and I turned back to the window, watching with relief as Riley locked her car and walked toward the house. I told myself to wait where I was, to wait for my good girl to kneel in the office, but I kept seeing her pinched look of worry. It wouldn’t hurt to check in with her that everything was okay before we started our play session.
I headed down the stairs. Riley was hanging her jacket in the closet, and she glanced up and smiled at me. “Hi, you.”
“Hi,” I said. I joined her and hesitated briefly before pulling her to me for a hug. She smelled like snow and her unique scent, and I buried my face in her throat for a few seconds.
“How were the roads?”
“Fine,” she said. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” I leaned back and smoothed her hair from her face. “Are you?”
She smiled, but it was a little bit off. “I’m good. Just surprised you’re meeting me downstairs.”
“I wanted to check in with you before we start. You seemed stressed at the office today.”
