Page 3 of Sean's Sunshine

“Come on in,” Billy said smoothly. “I’m Mr. Kryzynski’s helper until he’s back on his feet.”

“Oh!” Cathy Kryzynski wasn’t a big woman, but she had a sort of vitality that pushed its way into any room. In this case, she powered past Billy with only a little difficulty—hampered partly by Billy’s suspicious presence and partly by the bags of groceries she had in her hands. “Sean, I didn’t know you’d have a helper, so I brought some food. Uhm….” She smiled at Billy expectantly.

“Guillermo Morales,” Billy replied, surprising Sean greatly. “But, uhm, you can call me Billy.”

Sean’s mother gave a brilliant smile. “So nice to meet you, Billy. Here. If you take this into what passes for a kitchen back there, I’ll talk to Sean for a second, and then I can give you instructions, deal?”

“That’s fine,” Billy said, taking the bags of groceries. “But….” He gave Sean a narrow look. “You need to do most of the talking. He really isn’t healed, and it’s going to be a while before he’s up to long conversations.”

Sean straightened, having a thought about protest, and then Billy added the kicker. “And seriously, he needs his nap. His friends just left, and I checked over the doctor’s directions. He’s about maxed out on company today.”

Sean gaped, and so did his mother, but Billy glanced from one to the other with an absolute lack of fucks given.

“Let me put this away,” he said, completely composed, and Sean’s mom gave Sean one of those glances that came with pursed lips and a haughty tilt of the head. While the words “Well Inever,” were a bit passé in California in this day and age, Sean always thought that’s what his motherwouldsay if she didn’t know someone would have a comeback to that, like, “You should, it’s fun!”

“He’s… determined” is what shedidsay as she drew near Sean on the couch. And Sean had to give it to Billy—Guillermo—because his mother’s usually effusive personality seemed to have been instantly tempered by Billy’s warning.

“He’s doing this as a favor to a couple of friends,” Sean said, knowing it hadn’t only been Jackson Rivers, but also his assistant, Henry Worrall, who had helped arrange the situation. Henry worked as a PI, but his, well,hobby, was mentoring the guys in Billy’s apartment. Helping them “adult,” in his words. So if this kid’s two best adult role models asked him for a favor, apparently that meant Billy had to take shit seriously.

“He has to be rude?” Cathy asked.

“He wasn’t rude, Ma,” Sean told her. “He was just very firm. I….” He took a deep breath that was only a little exaggerated. “He’s right,” he said on the exhale. “I’m not up for much.”

Cathy’s expression immediately shifted from offended to concerned. “You’re right, honey. I didn’t mean to stress you out.” She went suddenly still, all of that vitality somewhat shrouded. “Is this why you didn’t want me in the hospital?” she asked, obviously hurt. “I mean, I know I can only visit for a couple of days, but….”

He gave her a quiet smile. “You’re a lot, Ma. And there were balls to the walls cops.” Or there had been after Rivers and Christie had gotten done giving his entire precinct hell about how nobody had shown up. Yeah, lots of reasons Cathy Kryzynski should not have been in the hospital. “Christie told you I’d be okay, right?”

“Andres is a good boy,” she said, and her wistful tone told him she was still hoping devoted family man Andres would start playing for Sean’s team.

“He is,” Sean said. “And his wife is lovely.” He took another deep breath. “Now tell me if I missed anything in the last week, and then go help Billy.” Jackson had left all sorts of microwave meals in the fridge. Billy was going to need some help playing refrigerator Tetris with everything his mom had brought.

“Well, school’s starting this week, so Suzanne and Leah are both up to their eyeballs in fixing up their classrooms,” his mom started, talking about his sister and his sister-in-law, who were both teachers. “Charlie’s still in Germany, but he heard talk that his deployment might end and he might be stationed back in the States pretty soon.”

“Marcie will be pleased,” Sean said, because she seemed to expect some sort of response.

“Well, she needs to be more self-sufficient.” Cathy sniffed before launching into a detailed description of everything Marcie’s kids from her previous relationship had been doing and why most of it was bad. Poor Marcie. Charlie Kryzynski must have seemed like a catch until Marcie met his mother.

Sean didn’t catch all of it, though. He was asleep before she finished the next sentence.

When he awoke, it was night, and Billy was urging him off the couch and to his bed.

“This couch is going to break your neck,” the kid was saying. “I’ve set up the pillows on the mattress so there’s less stress on your chest. Come on. Let’s go. That’s right.”

“Where’s my mom?” Sean managed to slur.

“Where tornadoes go to charge up for their destruction path the next day,” Billy muttered. “My God, that woman’s a lot.”

Sean managed to chuckle weakly as Billy offered his shoulder. Sean took it and allowed himself to be helped to his feet.

“You were great with her,” he said, not even self-conscious about it. “Man, haven’t seen anyone put her in her place like that since Dad.”

“What happened to your dad?” Billy asked, walking him slowly and steadily down the hall.

“Died on the job,” Sean said. “Right when I was graduating from the academy. Believe me, you haven’tseendrama.”

“Sounds dire,” Billy muttered.

“It was,Guillermo.” Sean was a little miffed about that, and he couldn’t figure out why.