Love, Exes, and Ohs (Cactus Creek #4)(48)

“Like I said, if it were me, I wouldn’t have brought Blake here every day. I would’ve probably paired it down to one day a week, to try and shelter him from everything as much as I could. But you…Darcy’s doctor told me that you three talked about Blake visiting, and that you’d asked him what he wanted to do.”

Xoey didn’t know whether to reply to that non-question so she remained silent.

Vivian smiled. “I wouldn’t have asked him. If he’d have asked, I would’ve given in, probably. But I wouldn’t have asked him.” She glanced over at her Blake who was bouncing up and down on the edge of Darcy’s bed, hands waving as he ran through all the excitement of the past two days. “Bringing an eight year old every day to the hospital to talk to his mom in a coma is something Darcy would do, however. You two…are very alike.”

Vivian gave her a small apologetic smile then. “That probably played a part in how I reacted to the news of Darcy choosing you as Blake’s guardian.”

“And why you’re planning on contesting it?” Xoey held her breath as she saw a dozen different emotions cross over Vivian’s face.

“I’m not sure what I’m planning on doing any more. I thought I did. That night, I’d told my husband I was going to battle this out in court to ensure Blake would be with family. But now, I just… don’t know.” She shook her head in wonder. “I still can’t believe Darcy planned all this and didn’t tell me. Truth be told, I can’t believe she planned this, period.”

Xoey studied her bewildered expression. “Darcy mentioned that you always thought she was a little…”

“Flaky? Fanciful? Irresponsible?” supplied Vivian, looking pained at the reminders. “And a hundred far worse things, I’m sure. Darcy had always been a free spirit growing up, looking at rules as suggestions, and boundaries as dares. But this…what she set up here for Blake—? A look of fascinated disbelief cloaked her features again. “Darcy planned all this to do what was best for Blake. She was being responsible. Heck, I don’t even have a standby guardianship for my children. Never even knew until now that the plans and wishes you detail in a will don’t take effect until actual death.”

Tears filled Vivian’s eyes. “I never ‘got’ Darcy the way you do. She was always so different. I actually never thought anyone would pick her to adopt a child, horrible as that sounds. But you did.”

“I knew the minute I met her that she was meant to be his mom.”

“See, that right there.” Vivian gave her a wobbly smile. “That’s the sort of thing Darcy would say. Even Blake gets her better than I ever did. When those two are together, it’s like they’re on their own little planet. And I’m always in the next solar system, or next galaxy. I know she loves me, and would do anything for me. But I never connected to her the way he did. She and Blake share something truly unique and special.”

Xoey nodded. She’d thought the exact same thing on numerous occasions. The pair were two peas in a pod.

“Blake is my sister’s world.” Vivian’s voice caught in her throat. “And she’s decided to entrust her world to you.” With a helpless shrug, she asked quietly, “What kind of sister would I be to try and strip her of that wish?”

“A caring one,” maintained Xoey gently. “The kind who has loved and watched out for her her entire life. The kind who would go to hell and back to protect both her and her world.”

“But I wouldn’t be right. Caring, sisterly, protective, yes. But wrong, all the same. Because I wouldn’t be the best mom for Blake.” She met Xoey’s gaze and held it. “You would.”

All at once, Xoey felt like every one of her five senses had suddenly magnified in power, overwhelmingly so. More emotions than she could name rushed up to clog her chest, and overfill her heart.

Vivian squeezed her hand. “And I’m not just saying that because you remind me so much of her. I’m not saying that you’d make the best replacement for Darcy. I’m saying you are his mom, in the way Darcy is. In ways that I could never be. So no, I’m not going to contest the guardianship because I truly believe Darcy made the right choice in choosing you.”

“Stop talking about me like I’m dead,” croaked a scratchy voice from across the room.

“Mom!” cried out Blake.

Xoey and Vivian shot over to the bed and watched Darcy open her eyes and smile first at Blake, and then at them. “Man, you all are chatty bunch.”

Blake flung himself against her and held on tight as she whispered how happy she was to see him, and how much she’d enjoyed all the great stories he’d told her.

“You were right, Xoey!” Blake beamed from ear to ear. “Mom heard all my stories!” Falling atop her for another big hug, he snuggled up against her. “We all missed you so much.”

“Missed you too, baby.”

Xoey felt Vivian squeeze her hand then.

When she looked up, she saw in Vivian’s eyes a mixture of relief and gratitude and happiness for Darcy…as well as empathy.

For Xoey.

Because not only was her sister back, but so was Blake’s mom.

Which left Xoey…not his mom.

Again.

And though she was nothing but deeply, humbly thankful to the universe for bringing her friend back to her, for bringing Blake’s mom back to him, that sense of loss ripped through her, threatened to break her apart at the seams from the inside.