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“Mom?”
Her smile grew, and she nodded before opening her arms.
With a gasp, I flew forward and hugged her hard. She kissed my hair, saying, “I’m sorry we don’t have much time. You’re already waking up. But I’ll visit again. Every time you sleep, if you’d like.”
I brightened. “Seriously?”
“Well, we’re not sure yet,” Hayes broke in with a cringe. “We’ll have to wait and see if you’re still able to reach us after you get out of the hospital.Ifyou ever get out.”
I scowled at him, not liking any suggestion that steered me away from regaining consciousness, but his face started to blur. I blinked to clear my vision, only to find myself awake in Foster’s room.
Turning my face to take in the slumbering boy next to me, dead asleep, I whispered, “Iwillwake up in the hospital someday. I swear I will.”
But apparently, I wouldn’t today. With a sigh, I sat up and glanced around Foster’s room. It was daylight but still early.
Curious about who else was up, I popped into the room on the other side of the wall, but Foster’s fourteen-year-old brother, Reed, was dozing on his stomach, his sheets covering him from the waist down.
Next, I checked on Amy. She was nearly sixteen and seemed like the hardest one to warm up to. She wore a sleep mask and had her hair wrapped in a towel as she slept, curled up under a mountain of blankets.
Little and Brey’s room was next. Both girls slept nearly identically to each other, lying at an angle on top of all their covers with the sheets kicked down to the foot of the bed as if they were both very active sleepers. I smiled adoringly at the eleven-year-old tomboy and four-year-old princess.
And then I checked on the parents, but they weren’t in their bedroom. Frowning slightly at their made bed, I cocked my ear until I could hear voices from the kitchen, and so I popped there next.
At the table, Foster’s parents were sitting together, finishing a bowl of cereal and oatmeal and talking about bills.
“Now that football season’s over,” his dad was saying, “Foster can pick up more hours at Duke’s.”
My eyebrows lifted in surprise because they were talking about my favorite subject: Foster.
Foster’s mom made a distasteful face at her husband’s suggestion, however, and grumbled, “I just hate relying on him for income. Scott…”
“I know, I know,” Foster’s dad agreed with a regretful sigh. “But he offered.” Shrugging helplessly, he added, “And we need it.”
She groaned. “He should be spending his money on spring break trips with his friends and flowers for pretty girls. A new truck. Not his parents’waterbill.”
Scott reached over and set his hand calmly on top of his wife’s. “Dahlia, I know.”
“Then we need to come up with a different plan. Maybe I should find a full-time job. The three hours I work every day while Little’s in preschool just aren’t cutting it.”
“You’re valuable in other ways that far surpass money,” Scott claimed. “And daycare would probably eat up everything you made, anyway.” Blowing out a breath, he ran a hand over his head. “Rodney at the hardware store asked if I wanted to help out there and pick up a couple of shifts when I was home. Maybe I should take him up on it.”
But Dahlia made a sound of protest. “What?No. We barely get to see you as it is.” She gripped his hand as if physically barring him from leaving. Then she heaved out a breath and nodded to herself. “Foster will help out.”
His dad nodded in agreement, but both parents looked miserable about the situation.
I sat down at the table across from them, feeling miserable too.
“Well…” Scott took one last gulp from his coffee. “I best get to it. This yard needs some serious work before I head out again tomorrow.”
Standing, he took his cup to the sink and rinsed it.
Dahlia rose to her feet, meeting him there so the couple could kiss. Afterward, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek on his shoulder as he rubbed her back.
“It’s gonna be okay,” she murmured softly. “Everything’s gonna be just fine.”
When he kissed her temple, I hugged myself and murmured, “Aww.” Foster had the most adorable set of parents ever. I’d already fallen in love with them last night when they’d talked my dad through his grief, but this… This was just too much.
I wondered if my mom and the captain would’ve had a marriage anywhere near as sweet as this one.
