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All I can do is watch and take in how much Ben resembles them. His mom, Veronica, looks like a movie star—wearing a designer dress and heels, her sleek, black hair pulled into a tight bun, fiddling with the gold crucifix around her neck. Mauricio, his dad, looks like what I would call ‘old money’, with a three-piece suit, an impressive mustache, and distinguished streaks of silver through his dark curls. Ben has their features—the hair, the arched nose, the dark eyes—but he’s wearing beat up jeans and a worn out Nirvana shirt that Mak brought from the apartment when she went to go check on Rex. He hasn’t left my side for days, and I’m grateful, so when his parents lay into him, I grip his hand tighter.

They argue for a while, and Yelena jumps in every so often, helping Ben hold his ground. I’m not sure exactly what his parents are upset about, but I think it has more to do with Ben being laicized than with me, or our relationship. Mauricio, at least, seems to be a bit softer than Veronica. I can see that they love him, and they’re thankful he’s safe, but they just don’t know how to deal with the whole situation. Finally, the tension breaks ever so slightly.

Ben’s signature dimpled grin makes a brief appearance when hesays, “If it makes you feel any better, Dad, he’s Catholic.”

Mauricio’s eyebrows disappear into his hair, but he laughs and pats his wife gently on the back.

“Ay, alright, Ben,” he relents, then shakes my hand and formally introduces himself. Veronica hangs back slightly, but after a few dirty looks from Yelena, she does the same.

“Thank you for saving my son,” she murmurs.

“He actually saved me, ma’am,” I reply. Before things can become truly awkward, Yelena shoos her parents out of the room and folds her arms.

“Thanks, Yelly,” says Ben, and she rolls her eyes at the nickname. “I know that wasn’t easy for you.”

“Well, they owe it to you to quit their self-righteous bullshit,” she snaps. “Now, I can’t stick around. I’ve got to get them home on the plane and then be back in Houston by tonight. Also, Santino told me to tell you that he’s glad you’re alright, but that you need to stop making all these big scenes or you’ll upstage him.”

Ben laughs loudly. “Tell him I’m–”

Yelena holds her hand up, flashing the nickel-sized diamond weighing down her left ring finger. “He also wants to help rebuild the animal shelter,” she says quickly.

My heart leaps into my throat. Aileen and Mak came to see us and said that all the animals had either been placed in foster homes or sent to other shelters in nearby counties, but they’re upset because our shelter was the only one in the area with a strict no-kill policy. If it could be rebuilt, and quickly, it would be a dream come true.

“What do you mean, he wants to help?” Ben asks, sounding a little wary.

“Well, you know he does stuff like this back home all the time,” Yelena says dismissively. “It’s no big deal. He’s always working with street dog charities and things like that. Anyway, he wants to hold a little fundraising gala, in L.A., to rebuild your shelter with all the modern safety features and whatnot. Obviously, you two would be the guests of honor. What do you think?”

I’m stunned. Yelena’s husband, Santino Ramirez, is a huge movie star who’s even being eyed as the next James Bond. For him to support us…I can’t even imagine what we might be able to do.

“Yes,” I croak, and Ben looks at me in surprise.

“Really,osito? You want to do that?”

“Of course. Aileen said the shelter’s insurance money will barely even cover the clean-up costs. Raising enough to rebuild will take awhile, and it’ll be difficult. Grants take time and work, and big donations don’t just…appear out of thin air.”

“They do when my husband is involved,” Yelena says with a wink. She collects her purse, tapping away on her phone as she does. “I’ll tell Santino to go ahead with it, and his people will be in touch with you and the shelter director. Sound good?”

Ben still appears stunned, but I smile at Yelena and tell her, “Thank you.” I hope she understands that I’m not just expressing my gratitude for the charitable support. She comes around the bed, all business, and kisses Ben on both cheeks, then leans down to kiss me on the cheek as well.

“Begood, Benny,” she says, putting on her sunglasses and glaring at him over the rims.

“I’ll try,” Ben laughs. She exits the hospital room, looking like she owns the place in her power suit and heels.

“God, if she and Molly could spend just five minutes in the same room together someday…” I tell Ben.

“I don’t think any of us would survive.” He laughs weakly, then flops onto the hospital bed beside me. I scoot over to make room for him, then move down so we’re side by side, holding hands. After a few minutes of silence, Ben takes a shaky breath.

“She should be here,” he whispers. “She should fucking be here for all of this. I miss her so goddamn much, Theo.”

I pull his hand up and kiss the back of it, then lean my cheek against his trembling fingers.

“I know,” I tell him quietly. “I do too.”

42

Theo

Four Months Later