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I can picture her rolling her eyes. “I’ll be sure to do that. But seriously, that’s…interesting. But whatever. People love who they love, I guess.”

Setting my cup down on the coffee table, I brush off the wet spots from my shirt. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Wetting my lips, I clear my throat. “So how have things been?”

“Better than they’ve been for you, I suppose.”

I crack a smile. “I’d imagine.” There’s another pause between us. “What about you, Olive? You got anybody interesting in your life?”

“I’ve got a lot of interesting people in my life,” she answers, knowing damn well that isn’t what I mean. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

She wants me to say it? “Do I need to drop names?”

“Do you?” she challenges.

“Shoot me straight and give an injured guy a break,” I all but plead. “Is there something going on with you and Bodhi Hoffman? A friend of a friend heard you and him went to the Rangers preseason party together in the city and left for a while. And we both know I saw the photo at Dave and Busters.”

Nelson’s cousin was one of the caterers at the event they attended.

Apparently, she’s lived in the city for a couple of years and always gets gigs with sports teams because she knows how to be discreet.

I’d heard her talking to the defenseman about Hoffman and Olive leaving together and coming back a few hours later.

According to her, she thinks they’re “cute” together.

Anger bubbles under my skin.

I told her I wasn’t mad for her sleeping with him, but it makes me fucking angry thinking that it was more than once.

“A friend of a friend, huh?” she muses. “I didn’t think you cared that much.”

She’s mistaken. “I told you that I was willing to give you space, but that I didn’t want to mess this up. It’s just a question, so I know where you stand. One you haven’t answered.”

She sighs. “Bodhi and I are friends. In fact, he seemed upset with me when I cut our conversation short when I heard you’d been hurt. Is that enough for your ego, or do you need another stroke?”

My lips tilts up slowly at the corners in victory. “I’m always down for a good stroke, especially if you’re doing it.”

“Alex.”

“Olive.”

We’re quiet.

Then I say, “Come see me. I’m required to rest for another week before I can even go to practice. I’m not allowed to play anytime soon. I’ve got time to kill, and the silence is fucking killing me. And I’d rather you suffocate me than Belle. She’s nice, but she’s getting on my last nerves.”

She only pauses for a moment. “And I won’t?”

“You never have before.”

When her silence greets me, doubt creeps into my gut. Does she really not want to come? It’s the end of summer, but Lindon isn’t supposed to start classes for another couple of weeks.

When she speaks, there’s a heaviness in her voice. “I guess you forgot about that last night we spent together then.”

Dragging my tongue along the seam of my lips to wet them, I drop my head. “It shouldn’t have happened.”

“Doesn’t change that it did,” she points out.

She’s right. “I want to make it up to you.”

“How can you do that, though? What’s done is done. We can’t go back. You can’t fix the trust issues that night gave me.”

“Does it have to be done? You said yourself Bodhi and you are friends. Is there somebody else stopping you from at least entertaining this?”

“Yeah. Sebastian. Remember him?”

If she thinks her brother is going to stop me, she’s wrong. “You’re an adult. You can do what you want, Olive.”

I let her think about it. Because I mean it. I want her here. I want to be selfish and spend time with her. More than that, I want her to want to come. When the seconds tick by and she still hasn’t answered, anxiety slowly bubbles in the pit of my stomach.

But then she says, “I’ll have to get time off approved through Judy first. If she can’t find help, I won’t be able to. Not before classes start.”

She wants to though. She’s willing to try.

That means something.

“Okay.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “Okay. Just let me know. I can give you gas money. Whatever you need.”

She snorts. “I don’t want your money, Alex.”

I smile. “I know.”

That’s the best part.

“You know what I want?” I ask her.

“Probably something dirty.”

I grin. “That too. But, no. I just want you, Olive. Wish I’d been smart enough to hold onto that before.”

A subtle breath escapes her. “Alex…”

“Nah” I cut her off. “You don’t need to say anything.

I just wanted you to know. You needed to know.

Just think about it. If you and Hoffman aren’t a thing, this is me officially throwing my hat back into the ring.

I’m not ashamed to admit I need you and your pep talks and your banter. But the ball is in your court now.”

There’s a pregnant pause. “Damn you,” she whispers. “Damn you, Alex.”

Then she hangs up the phone.

*

I’m getting out of the shower a few days later when I hear the doorbell. I’m careful to dry my hair off so I don’t open up the wound still healing on the back of my head. Wrapping the damp towel around my waist, I walk over to the door and look through the peephole.

“Holy shit.”

When I open it, I’m struck speechless. “What the hell are you doing here, Ma?”

The thin woman opens her arms. “Is that any way to greet the woman who birthed you? Why are you half naked? That’s no way to answer the door. I raised you better than that.”

I’m still shocked to see her when she nudges me aside and walks in. “How do you know where I live?” I ask slowly as she enters my apartment and looks around.

She doesn’t answer that. “Oh, Alex. It’s so bleak here. Where are the photos? The décor? It’s so…white. Do you remember all those fun signs we’d find at flea markets? You loved helping your daddy hang them up.”

I must be dreaming. Because Logan’s would have told me they released her, right? They would need some sort of permission or point person to pick her up. There’s no way she’s here in front of me. “I’m hallucinating,” I say aloud, rubbing my eyes.

But the hallucination laughs the same light laugh I’ve heard in the past when she wasn’t spiraling.

“No, silly boy. I had to see you. I heard them say you were hurt. And that awful Pam told me you weren’t coming to visiting hours to see me while you recovered.

How could I stay there when I knew my baby boy was somewhere in pain?

I’ve always been there for you when you were hurt. ”

I…have no idea what to say.

“So you checked yourself out of Logan’s?” I ask in disbelief, locking the door behind me. “I didn’t even know you could do that.”

She scoffs, turning to face me. “Of course not. If it were up to you, you’d have me locked in that stuffy place forever.”

Stuffy? “Ma, they have a whole ass menu for each meal you get to choose from, a community center full of activities you can do, and a garden. That place is far from stuffy.”

Especially for how much I pay for it.

She shrugs it off. “Are you going to show me around? I thought you’d be happy to see me, but you look miserable. Go put some pants on and give your mother a tour.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to think of what to do. Shoulders slumped, I guide her to the couch and sit her down. “Stay here. I’ll go change and be right back.”

She smiles at me, squeezing my arm. “I’ll be right here.”

I break records putting clothes on because I don’t trust her out there alone. How did she get here? She has no money. No bags. No clothes. It’s impossible for her to walk here. And I don’t even understand how she got my address.

When I walk back to the living room, Mom isn’t on the couch where I left her. Instead, I find her in the kitchen going through every cupboard and cabinet. “I told you to sit still.”

“You have no food here. What do you eat?” she asks, opening the fridge and shaking her head. “It’s no wonder you’re so skinny. I want to make you a grilled cheese.”

Those fucking grilled cheeses.

I’m still in awe she’s here, standing in my kitchen and frowning at me. “I’m supposed to go grocery shopping tomorrow. I’m fine. Ma, I need to know how you got here. Is there a taxi outside waiting to be paid? Uber?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she muses, rubbing my arm. “I asked someone for a ride. He was very sweet. We talked all about you.”

She—“That’s fucking dangerous! He could have been a serial killer. You could have been trafficked. Is he still out there?” I walk over to the window facing the street and look down.

“He was eighty years old, and his granddaughter was in the backseat. It was fine. He recently lost his wife, and this is the first time he saw his granddaughter in years. He was so nice.”

I don’t even know what to say right now.

She moves on like this is any other day. “How about we go out to eat? I could use some good coffee. I’ve been drinking sludge for months and I hate it.”

I blink. “Ma…”

“What? Don’t you want to go out with your poor momma? I haven’t eaten all day. I need food before I get as skinny as you.”

Christ. Christ. “Just give me a minute, okay?” I dig through one of the drawers she hasn’t opened yet and pull out a granola bar. “Eat this to tide you over.”

She accepts it with a frown. “This is just nuts and fruit. I don’t like nuts. And the fruit is always dry.”

“Well, it’s all I have.” I grab my phone and find the contact I need before dodging into my bedroom and closing the door.

When Pam picks up, I don’t even let her greet me before speaking up.

“Why didn’t you tell me that my mother signed out of Logan’s?

” I ask the head nurse, my voice nothing but a harsh whisper.

“And why the hell did she just show up at my apartment with nothing? She hitchhiked here, Pam. Like it’s the goddam seventies. ”

She sighs. “We tried contacting you, but you didn’t pick up. We thought it might have been because of your recent injury. I left you a voice message, but I couldn’t hold her. That would be a wrongful imprisonment charge waiting to happen.”

“You didn’t—” I look at my voicemail and see the unopened message. How did I miss that? It’s from early this morning. “I never saw it. I didn’t even hear my phone ring.”

I drop my head back and cuss.

“I’m sorry, Alex. I did try. You can drop her back off and we’ll readmit her. But you’re going to need to sign new forms that would prevent her from being able to do this.”

Why didn’t I sign them to start with? “Don’t you think we could have avoided this if you’d given me that form the first time around?”

Before she can reply, there’s a knock at the bedroom door before Mom pops her head in. “Is it time to go get food? This granola bar is horrible. Who are you on the phone with?”

Not wanting to start a fight, I lie. “It’s a friend, Ma. Think about what you’re in the mood for and I’ll take you. Okay? I’ll be out in a second.”

When she seems appeased, she closes the door behind her. “Pam, I can’t keep her here. She seems okay now, but I know there’s a chance that can turn quickly.”

“Look, call me when you’re on your way and I’ll make sure I’m at Logan’s. I’m sorry, Alex. I know this is the last thing you need.”

She’s damn straight. “I will.”

Hanging up, I make my way to the living room again when the doorbell goes off for a second time.

I glare at Mom. “Did you invite the old man and his granddaughter up too?”

She laughs like I’m ridiculous. “Of course not. Gianna had to get to ballet. She has a recital coming up. They invited me.”

I don’t bother squashing her dreams of going just yet. I walk to the door and open it without looking at the peep hole and gape at the person standing there.

“Surprise,” Olive says, wiggling her fingers.

There’s an overnight bag on the floor beside her.

I blink.

Blink again.

And say, “ Fuck .”