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We entered the kitchen, and my mom was seated at the table sipping tea like she had been doing so all her life. The dementia diagnosis had rocked both of us, and I knew Mom’s pride sometimes stopped her from admitting when she was confused.

“Eliot! Oh, I’m so happy you’re here. Are you going to help Lilah move her furniture around?” she asked calmly. Lilah’s cheeks turned pink.

“We were just going to check it out. I wanted to see if I could walk you home first. It’s a nice night out,” I replied calmly, not wanting my mom to realize she didn’t know where she was or how she had gotten there. Cursing myself for not having the foresight to bring a car instead of my bike, I was suddenly grateful for the excuse to come back, to get another glimpse at the dark-haired angel beside us.

“Oh! The time just flew by. Thank you so much for having me over, Lilah. You’ll have to come to my place next. I’ll teach you how to knit!” Mom gushed excitedly. I was surprised to see an equally happy look on Lilah’s face.

“I would love that!” she said, her voice wispy and full of surprise.

“Call me tomorrow, and we’ll set up a time.” Ma pressed a kiss to Lilah’s cheek, and her blue eyes widened in shock. Gently wrapping my arm around my mom, I guided her out of the house. Lilah stood at her front door, watching us walk away.

“Is it okay if I leave my bike?” I asked belatedly, and she nodded eagerly.

“Alright. I’ll be back in a bit. Thank you. For everything,” I said, trying to communicate how much it meant to me that she had treated my mother with kindness, that she had helped her and treated her like a human.

“Have a good night. Both of you.” Her voice carried after us as Ma and I walked back to the house I had bought for her.

“What a lovely girl! A bit skittish, but we can help her with that.” Mom looked at me out of the corner of her eye, a mischievous glint in her eye that reminded me so much of the old her.

“Whatever you say, boss,” I told her, and she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. As we entered my mother’s house, Jenny, the young aid worker the agency had sent over, came running toward us.

“I am so sorry! I got a really important call and went into another room to answer, and then, when I got back, she was gone!” The girl wailed, her cell phone clutched in her hand.

“Why didn’t you call me?” I asked, and the girl blinked at me lamely.

“I was freaked! I was looking around to see if she was in the backyard or something.”

“You should go,” I said as I got Mom settled on the couch.

“But her meds…” The girl looked flustered.

“I’ll give them to her. Don’t bother coming back tomorrow. I’ll have the agency send someone with more…focus,” I told her, and I watched as she flushed. “Pro tip. Maybe don’t spend an hour making a dance video on your phone instead of paying attention to your client.” Cameras were set up throughout the entire house. I had already seen the “important” phone call Jenny was on when Mom stepped away.

In a blink, over an hour had passed by the time I made sure Mom took her meds and was settled in bed. Setting the house alarm, I walked back over to Lilah’s house. I would spend the night at Mom’s. She would be okay for however long it took me to get my bike and come back.

The care facility was sending someone new the following day, but I was going to wait to meet them before trusting them with my mother. She wasn’t a burden or something to deal with; she was the most important person in my life.

Mom deserved to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter the situation. I had the ability to make sure she had the best of everything. That included the type of care she needed, whether she wanted it or not. She would be safe. I would keep her safe like I had promised to all those years before.

As Lilah’s house came into view, I could see a soft light illuminating the inside through the front window. I paused, debating just getting on my bike and heading back, but there was something foreign inside of me, calling to me. Without much thought, I found myself at the door, my hand knocking on the solid wood.

“Hi! Is Elizabeth…Is everything okay?” she asked, her eyes wide with concern. I ducked my head, my hand gripping the back of my neck as I stumbled over my words.

“Yeah. She’s okay. The new aid worker they sent over is a bit…Well, she won’t be helping out anymore, so hopefully, this won’t happen again. I just wanted to say thank you for being so nice to Mom. She can get really freaked out, and you…Well, just thank you for helping and getting her home safe.”

“Of course. I—if you ever need anything or someone to check on her, you can call me. You have my number? From when I called you earlier?” she asked nervously, chewing on her lip. I wanted to rub my thumb over her plump bottom lip, stop her from hurting herself. The craving was foreign, dark and swirling within me.

“Yeah. Okay. Thanks. I’m just gonna grab my bike now,” I said, feeling like a teenage boy, unable to control my thoughts or words. She nodded softly and stepped back as if to close the door.

“You’re a good son. She’s lucky to have you, and you’re lucky to have her.” It was like a whispered confession, something dark and lonely in her voice as she said it. With a fake smile that didn’t reach her eyes, she looked up.

“Anyways, ride safe and all that. Have a good night!” she said, her voice too high, too forced. She closed the door behind her, and I hesitated. I wanted to go after her, pull her into my arms, and demand she tell me about anyone who had ever hurt her.

My hands reflexively clenched into fists. The scars that were hidden under the dark ink felt tight and itchy. Shaking my hands out, I forced myself to get on the bike. Riding away, I knew it wasn’t the end; it was just the beginning. I never went into a situation unprepared, though, and I would do my research before getting started. I would see Lilah again. I just had to figure out what that meant.

Chapter 3

Scythe