Fidelity (Infidelity #5)(31)

“Oren, Nox’s dad, wants us to say only good things and not upset you. I don’t want to upset you, but there are a few things I need to say.” My breath stuttered as I gulped air. “I know I haven’t been a good daughter, but you haven’t been a good mom.” My eyes closed, forcing more tears to fall. As they dripped from my chin, I imagined her living the last twenty years as I had the last ten days. My childhood hadn’t been good, but it hadn’t been the hell I faced marrying Bryce, living with his cruelty day after day. The anger I’d allowed to fester inside of me morphed to empathy. “I think I understand. I think you tried. I get that. I can see things differently than I used to. I’m sorry.”

The ivory dress I’d worn earlier was gone. I was wearing a sweatshirt and yoga pants. I wasn’t sure if they were Silvia’s or if Deloris had arranged for me to have clothes. I didn’t care as long as I was out of that dress and heels. I knelt beside the bed, still clinging to my mother’s hand and rested my forehead on the edge of the mattress.

“Don’t leave me. I know I left you, but I wasn’t really gone. I was away. I-I don’t know what I’d do…”

The words stopped forming as hiccups sabotaged my speech.

Letting go of her hand, I clung to the edge of the mattress. With my head down I cried. I cried because I was scared that she wouldn’t live. I cried because I was scared of what would become of us if she did. We were breaking my grandfather’s will. I couldn’t ask Nox or Oren to support both of us. It wasn’t right.

I cried for the little girl who missed out on a mother’s touch. More tears fell at the realization of her sacrifice, at our sacrifice. I’d missed out and so had she. Maybe it wasn’t that she didn’t notice, but that she’d been too busy keeping the monster away. I felt it in my soul. Things Jane had said. Things I didn’t understand now seemed clear.

I cried the tears I’d held back at Montague Manor.

I cried for Chelsea and all she’d surrendered on my account.

With time, my tears slowed and breathing began to steady. As it did, I felt a touch to my head, a smoothing of my hair.

“Shhh. Don’t cry.”

The voice was weak, scratchy, but I’d know my own mother’s voice anywhere.

My head popped up. She looked exactly as she had. Her eyes were still closed. But her hand was moved. Had I moved it? Did I imagine it?

“Momma?”

She didn’t answer.

“Momma?”

The monitors continued their steady rhythm as the door opened.

Oren stepped around Liz. “Alexandria, are you all right?”

Liz hurried to the monitors. “Everything is stable. Did something happen?”

“She spoke.”

Oren looked from me to Momma and back. There was a skeptical expectancy in his expression as if he wanted to believe me, but doubted my sanity.

“Adelaide?”

I took a step back as he reached for her other hand.

“Adelaide, it’s Oren. Alexandria is here.”

The intimacy in his touch made my skin prickle. It wasn’t right, yet he didn’t hesitate as he bowed forward and lifted her hand to his lips.

“Amore mio, rest. We’re not leaving you.”

“Not real.”

We all looked up, Liz, Oren, and myself. It wasn’t a sleep-deprived hallucination. She’d spoken again.

“Miss Collins, that is a great sign,” Liz said. “Dr. Rossi will be in here soon. She’s not leaving the estate. We will want to run some tests, see how she’s responding. There’s nothing more for you to do right now. Why don’t you get some sleep?”

“I-I don’t want—”

The door opened wider. There was something in the expression of the most handsome man I knew. It only lasted a millisecond as he entered this room. His step stuttered and then he strode through, my confident, domineering Batman. “Did I hear something good happened?”

I nodded and swallowed more tears. “She’s talking.”

Nox reached for my hand. “Princess…” He kissed my forehead. “…you’re the most beautiful woman I know, but,” he said, pausing to wipe the tears from my cheeks, “you look spent. I’m spent. Your mom is doing better. Let’s get some sleep?” He looked to Liz. “If you need her, she’s in the suite down the hall. Don’t hesitate to wake us.”

“Yes, sir.”

He nodded toward Oren. “Thank you.”

“Tomorrow we’ll talk.”

“You didn’t?”

“No. One thing at a time.”

Nox took a deep breath and tilted his head toward Momma. “They know she’s gone.”

Oren nodded. “I’ve been following the chatter.”

“Wait!” I said. “What? Do you think they’ll come here? Do you think they’ll try to move her?”

“Eventually,” Oren replied. “But no one is entering this property without a warrant.”

I reached for Nox’s hand. “Alton has people. He got in our apartment.”

Oren smiled. “Get some sleep. Our people are watching.”

Nox’s eyes blinked in acknowledgment as he smiled at his father. And then the light blue stare was back on me. “Come on, princess. I have plans.”