Drew swallowed. His throat burned and the words clogged in his windpipe. He wanted to beg his sister to understand, but in her current frame of mind, he knew she wouldn’t. He would’ve liked to stand his ground and tell her he was with Mia now, and if she loved him at all, she’d deal with it. But once again, in her current frame of mind, that would only hurt her. So, he only managed to give a slight shake of his head, telling her he wasn’t going to send Mia anywhere.
Amanda took a step back. Pressing her hands to her chest, she turned away, muttering under her breath, "I have to go."
"You’re the only person who has a problem with this, Mandy," he called after her.
Ignoring him, his sister climbed into her car and drove off.
He watched her go, wishing he could’ve concocted some magic words to ease her worries, anything but tell her the one thing she wanted him to say. There was no way he was going to leave Mia, though. Not now. Not even for his sister who was supposed to be the most important person in his world.
Turning away from the drive, he slumped back to the house. Mia pulled open the front door as soon as he started up the porch. Her eyes were huge and full of worry.
He slowed to a stop. "You heard?"
Her head bobbed up and down. Oh, yeah. She’d definitely heard. She’d heard his sister demand, loud and clear, that he wash his hands of her.
There was nothing he could say to assure her he wasn’t going to take his sister’s advice. She’d still have her doubts. So, he did the only thing he could think to do. Show her. He opened his arms.
The relief on her face was almost tangible. She flew at him, leaping into his embrace, winding her arms so tight around his neck, he wondered if they might need to use the jaws of life to pry her off.
"I’m sorry," she said, kissing his face and neck. "I’m so sorry."
"She’ll get over it," he assured, rubbing a soothing hand down her back.
"But she needs her brother right now. She needs all the family she can get."
"Shh." To quiet her, he pressed his mouth to hers. Their lips clung a few seconds before he pressed his forehead to hers. "I know my sister. She’ll get over her mad in a few hours. Then she’ll call, and we’ll be fine again. She’ll be nice to you because she knows how important you are to me. And before you know it, she’ll love you just as much as I do. So stop worrying. It’ll be okay."
She trembled. It made him a little panicked. Hoping she wouldn’t have an anxiety attack on him, he put his finger under her chin and lifted her face. "Mia?"
Tears swam in her eyes. But she smiled at him and he knew they were tears of joy when she added, "I love you too."
He sucked in a breath. Sweeping her into his arms, he carried her inside.
•
"Look who’s coming home at ten in the morning after a two-day date."
Mia blushed and ducked her head. The front door slid closed at her back, and Piper let out a soft chuckle.
"I was worried the first night, not sure what had happened to you."
Face snapping up, Mia instantly apologized. "I’m sorry I didn’t call. I totally forgot—"
Piper shook her head and lifted a hand. "Don’t worry about it. Drew let me know where you were."
"He did?" Mia snapped her mouth shut, instantly jealous. As irrational as she knew it was, she still pictured her roommate pursuing Drew. If she dated married men, she wouldn’t have any qualms about going after someone who was now considered unavailable. But then she straightened, telling herself how silly such a worry was. Piper was her best friend on earth; her best friend wouldn’t mess with her man.
Still, why hadn’t he told her he’d spoken to her roommate?
"The first night you didn’t come home, I found his business card in your room and tried calling, hoping it was his personal number too."
"Oh," Mia said, realization dawning. "Was that you? I remember the phone ringing downstairs on his business line."
"That was me," Piper nodded and raised her hand to claim culpability. "I left a message and he called me back the next morning to tell me you were fine and not to ever call him again because his sister visited frequently."
Mia nodded, reassured. She should probably be irritated Drew had said such a thing to her best friend. But she kind of liked the idea that they weren’t too close. She couldn’t help but worry just a little about Piper trying to steal her man. Drew was too wonderful to lose.
"She does visit a lot," Mia assured Piper. "She showed up that morning and wasn’t very happy when she found me there." Yet another reason Drew probably hadn’t told her about his call to Piper. They’d been suitably distracted.
Piper gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. "Are you okay? What did she do?"
"She called Drew a traitor and stormed off. He’s been trying to get in touch with her ever since. But she refuses to talk to him." Shoulders slumping, she admitted, "I feel sorry for her. She’d been betrayed by her husband and now her brother is fraternizing with someone she considers an enemy."
When she glanced toward Piper, she froze, realizing Amanda’s problems started because of Piper. What a way to make her friend more guilty. She opened her mouth, mind whirling to cover her faux pas. "I mean—"
"No, it’s okay," Piper assured her. "I feel bad for her too. J made her out to be the wicked witch of the west, but now that I realize how much he lied to me, she probably wasn’t as bad as I imagined." She snorted sourly. "He ended up being the jerk and still … he’s the one who dumped me."
Blinking rapidly, she glanced away, trying to hide her misery.
"I’m sorry," Mia said, feeling lame because, well, she wasn’t actually that sorry her friend was no longer seeing a married man.
"It’s fine," her friend said. "Actually … well, Gary called. We’re going out this weekend."
Mia’s eyebrows shot up. "Gary. The Gary I was supposed to go out with?"
Piper nodded, and Mia sat down.
She felt like she’d landed in a strange soap opera. There were definitely some odd triangles going on, er, actually this would be more like a hexagon since Drew, his sister, her husband, Piper, Gary and Mia were all involved. What a weird outcome.
•
"Still nothing?"
Drew hung up the phone, shaking his head. "It’s been five days and she still won’t talk to me. I’ve gone over there twice, both time when the kids were around, and she’ll just walk into a different room whenever I enter one."
Mia sat on the arm of his couch and wrapped both her arms around him. "Are you okay?"
He touched her hand and closed his eyes. "Yeah." He was better than okay. Every time she was near he was fantastic.
Wanting to prove it, he turned and lifted his face to kiss her. She bent down to press her mouth to his. Afterward, he sighed and closed his eyes, holding her close, grateful she was in his life to help him deal with his troubles.
As if reading his mind, Mia placed her hand on his hair. "She’ll call."
He murmured his agreement, hoping she was right, and feeling closer to her than ever because she was intuitive enough to realize how much Amanda’s cold shoulder bothered him. Her understanding assured him he was still doing the right thing.
He tilted his head her way and kissed her again. "Thank you."
Chapter Seventeen
The telephone woke Drew. It was early, too early for anyone to actually be awake. Groaning, he rolled onto his stomach and reached for the nightstand.
After a few blind sweeps with his hand, he answered in a sleep-filled voice, stretching so he barely heard his sister’s voice over his own yawn. "Mandy," he mumbled, already sighing. "Not right now. It’s—"
"Felix fell," she said, her voice was hoarse and shaky.
He opened his eyes. "What? What happened? Is he okay?"
"He won’t wake up. Oh, Drew. I heard the bump in the kitchen and when I got there, he was lying like a little, limp rag doll in the middle of the floor. And I couldn’t get him to wake
up. My baby won’t wake up."
Drew sat up quickly enough to make the blood rush to his head. Ignoring the dizzy spell, he yanked on a pair of pants. "Did you call an ambulance?"
"We’re already at the hospital. Could you … could you please come get the girls. I don’t want them here if … " Her voice broke.
"I’ll be right there," he told her before hanging up.
He dialed another number as he reached for his shirt, not even thinking what he was doing until Mia answered.
He said her name. She must’ve heard the anxiety in his voice because her next words were, "What’s wrong?"
"My nephew. He fell or something. I don’t know. They’re already at the hospital. I have to go."
Bypassing socks, he snatched a pair of forgotten shoes off the floor and hopped on one foot toward the door as he put them on.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
Dropping his lifted foot to the floor, Drew paused. He wanted her with him more than anything, but he shook his head. "You don’t have to do that."
She’d freak out if she entered a hospital where she knew a little boy was hurt. And there was no telling how Mandy would receive her.
But Mia didn’t seem to care about all that. "Do you want me there?" she asked, her steady voice calming him.
He did so bad it hurt. But there were so many problems with the idea, he couldn’t answer clearly. He gave a mumbled, "yes," and she answered, "Okay. Then I’m coming. Pick me up on your way. I’ll be ready and waiting at the curb."
Drew froze a second before he closed his eyes and sighed. "I love you so much," he murmured.
"I love you too," she rushed out the words. He could hear her moving around in the background, probably hastily throwing on clothes like he’d just done. "Now hurry up and get over here."
Grinning, he disconnected and did just that.
By the time he pulled up in front of 410 South Elm, she was opening the door and hurrying outside and pulling the door shut behind her, still barefoot but carrying her shoes so she could put them on in the truck.
Grateful for her presence, he only managed one look her way as she hopped inside. Though her face was pale, she offered him a stiff, but encouraging smile. Knowing he could handle whatever happened with her next to him, he pulled onto the roadway.
•
A hard ball of tension knotted her stomach as Drew parked next to the hospital’s emergency entrance and beside a Honda Civic he claimed was his sister’s. Fear nipped at her; she didn’t want to step foot inside those automatic glass doors. Her daughter might not have died in a hospital and it had been too late to take her to one, but Mia knew there was a mother nearby, fearing for her baby’s life. And that emotion was way too familiar.
As Drew rushed forward into the building, Mia hung back for two reasons. First, wicked memories were nearly smothering her … and then there was his sister. Mandy still refused to acknowledge her in Drew’s life. Her hatred would only grow to new proportions if she was forced to see Mia right now at this awful moment.
Most likely realizing that fact himself, Drew paused and glanced behind him. When he saw her hanging back, he nodded in approval and gratitude. Then he turned back and hurried toward his sister.
"Mandy?"
She lifted her face, terror clutching her features and surged to her feet. "Drew!"
The relief in her voice made Mia love him all the more. People depended on him and were happy to see him, even in their darkest hour of distress.
Brother and sister stopped three feet away from each other.
"Have you heard anything?" he asked.
Mandy shook her head, looking hollow and alone. "No. Nothing."
Mia’s heart went out to the bereft mother. Remembering all too clearly that lost, empty sensation, she set her hand over her churning stomach. About the time she whispered, "Hug her, Drew" under her breath, he pulled his sister into his arms. She swallowed with pride. "Good man."
Still holding Mandy closer, he asked, "Where’re the girls?"
"I called Dad too," she said. "He offered to take them. Since he’s only a few blocks away, he’s been here and gone." Pulling back enough to give him an uncertain look, she said, "I was hoping you’d stay here … with me."
"Of course," he answered immediately, taking her hand to pull her down next to him on the cushioned chair, he kept a hold of her fingers. "I’m not going to leave you."
As Mandy rested her head on his shoulder and he began to sift his fingers through her hair, something powerful and achy moved through Mia. Keeping herself out of sight from Drew’s sister, she continued to eavesdrop, unable to take her eyes off him. If only he’d been there after Lexie’s death. He would’ve held her like that, comforted her. Maybe it wouldn’t have taken her over three years to heal.
Realizing at that moment that she had indeed healed, she pressed a hand to her chest, and three years of pressure eased off her lungs.
"Where’s Jeff?" she heard Drew ask.
Amanda shrugged, staring bleakly at a wall. "I called. Had to leave a message. Told him to call me back."
"You didn’t tell him what happened?" Drew sounded incredulous.
His sister glanced over long enough to glare. "If he cares anything about his children, he better call back."
Drew pushed to his feet, running his hand through his hair. Digging his cell phone from his pocket, he began to dial. "I’ll call him," he said and started to look around the waiting room as if looking for Mia.
She stepped into view and his eyes instantly darted her way. They exchanged a long look before he smiled and commenced to leave a message for Amanda’s husband, explaining everything that had happened. Mandy finally noticed her as Drew was hanging up and putting his phone away.
Straightening her back and narrowing her eyes, she hissed, "What is she doing here?"
"She’s here for me," Drew answered, his tone leaving no room for question. He sat down next to Amanda not even glancing Mia’s way as if he trusted her support that much.
But his sister didn’t like his answer. Eyes filling with tears, she rasped, "I can’t have her here right now, Drew. She reminds me of what he did. And I can’t think about that. I can’t …"
She shook her head, looking grey. "I’ve been thinking about it too much. That’s why I was sleeping in this morning. I stayed up so late last night, thinking and stressing. And Felix knew I was upset. He woke me a few minutes before … before it happened and said he was going to make me breakfast. I stayed in bed. I was being lazy, and lying in bed when he crawled up onto the kitchen counters. He was so sweet, Drew. When he put his hand on my hair and told me he was going to bring me breakfast in bed because I didn’t feel well."
She sobbed and Drew shuddered.
"Mandy, no." He reached for her, but Mia was suddenly there.
She caught his arm. He whirled around to scowl at her, but when he saw the look in her eyes, he paused. She shook her head, and he gave a slight reluctant nod.
And all the while, Amanda kept talking, sobbing out the entire story. "The next thing I knew, he was screaming and then there was this thump. And suddenly everything went quiet. I found him lying in a pile of Fruit Pebbles. His favorite cereal. He was going to give me his favorite cereal for breakfast."
Hunching her shoulder to buy her face in her hands, she started to weep and didn’t notice how Mia had urged Drew out of his seat so she could take his place beside Amanda. "I should’ve gotten out of bed. I shouldn’t have let him know how miserable I was."
Mia set a hand on Amanda’s back. "No, you should be proud of your son. He had the compassion to care for his mother when she needed someone to care for her."
Amanda lifted her face. The grief and tears had aged her since she’d bent over to weep. But anger quickly wiped away her anguish. She glared at Mia.
Mia swallowed but didn’t back down, especially when Amanda growled deep in her throat in animalistic warning. "Don’t you dare tell me how to feel." She vibrated
with the force of her rage. "You don’t know what I’m feeling. You have no idea what it’s like to be responsible for your child’s—"
"Mandy," Drew said, his voice reprimanding as he stepped forward to stop her.
But Mia lifted her hand and glanced his way. "It’s okay," she told him. "This is good."
"Good?" Amanda roared, surging to her feet and fisting her hands. "You think it’s good that my son is lying in some hospital bed, dying?" She shrank backward at her own words, covering her face with her hands and trembling.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I think your anger is very good," Mia said, not wavering her from her position in the chair. "It’s a healthy step in the grieving process."
Amanda scowled. "What?" Tears matted her face, making her cheeks glow red. She wrinkled her features in confusion. "What are you? Some kind of quack?"
"No, I’m Mia Stallone," Mia answered, gracefully rising to her feet to face the other woman on the same level. "And I’ve been living through the stages of grief for three years, four months and two days."
Brows lowering in confusion, Amanda merely stared, shaking her head.
Mia dragged in a deep breath and finished, "Ever since my three-month old daughter suffocated to death while she was sleeping in bed next to me."
Amanda shuddered. "Oh. How horrible."
Nodding, Mia murmured, "Yeah. Pretty much." Collecting a brave breath, she glanced once toward Drew, and her chest eased. She turned back to his sister. "I was responsible for my child’s pain … for her death. So, I know how you feel. I understand how much you hurt right now." Relaxing her tense shoulders, she reached out with one hand toward Amanda. "I understand," she repeated.
Blinking back a new flood of tears, Amanda let out a tortured moan and surged toward Mia, hugging her hard. "I don’t want him to die," she said desperately, balling the back of Mia’s shirt in her fists. "I just don’t want him to die."
"He might not," Drew said, stepping forward to encompass both women in his arms.
Mia rested her head on his shoulder as she patiently stroked Mandy’s hair. "There’s still hope."
Drew pressed a brief kiss to their foreheads and pulled them tighter against him.