Page 99 of From This Moment (After We Fall 4)
“Wes told her he cannot replace Drew,” I said firmly. “She knows who her father is.”
“She’s going to forget him.” Lenore’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m worried she’s going to forget him. Like you have. Like Wes has. I feel like I’m the only one remembering him.”
Her tears tugged at me a little, because I could tell that this was a legitimate fear she had—that her son would be forgotten. “We haven’t forgotten him. We talk about him all the time. He’d want us to be happy.”
“That’s an easy thing to tell yourselves, isn’t it?”
“This wasn’t easy for me at all. I fought it. Wes fought it. But it happened.”
“Love doesn’t just happen,” she said irritably. “It happened because you two let it happen. Because you jumped into bed together without a single thought to the consequences, and they are many, including a little girl who hears her mother crying at night, probably because she feels so guilty about what she’s doing with her brother-in-law.”
“Okay, that’s enough. Please go get Abby so I can take her home.”
When I tried to walk away, she grabbed my arm. “Hannah, wait. Just think about what you’re doing. That’s all I ask. Think about what you’re doing and what’s best for Abby. Think about what people will say and how embarrassing it will be for everybody. I don’t want to have to explain to people why my son is dating his brother’s wife.”
I yanked my arm free. “This isn’t about you.”
&n
bsp; “Yes, it is,” she said. “It’s about family and loyalty, and I don’t understand why neither you nor Wes seems to get it.”
But I was already striding out of the kitchen, heading for the stairs. Abby happened to be coming down them, her elephant tucked under her arm. “Mommy!” She hurried down the steps and ran over to me.
I reached out and scooped her up, hugging her close. “Hi, pumpkin. Ready to go?”
“Yes.”
I set her down. “Say thank you to Nana.” Mad as I was, I would not let it be said of me that I didn’t have manners.
“Thank you, Nana.” She went over and gave Lenore a hug.
“You’re welcome, darling.” Lenore’s eyes closed and she sniffed as she held Abby close. I wondered if she was scared I’d try to keep Abby from her. After what she just said to me, she should be.
Doc came around the corner from his office, a newspaper in hand. “Hello there, Hannah. Thought I heard your voice.”
“Hi, Doc.”
“Come give Papa a hug, Abby,” he said, opening his arms.
She walked into them, and he squeezed her tight. My throat lumped up. They really did love her. And they probably felt like she was all they had left of Drew. I didn’t want to prevent Abby from spending time with them. But I didn’t want her hearing me badmouthed all the time either. God, this was such a mess! How had we ever thought we could make this work?
On the way home, we stopped at the store and bought some groceries. I let Abby choose what we’d have for dinner, and she chose hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls, something she and Lenore had cooked up one time. I gritted my teeth but stuck the hot dogs and dough in the cart.
“How about a vegetable?” I asked. “We need something healthy with that.”
She thought for a second. “Green beans.”
“Works for me.” I scooped some into a plastic bag.
“What about dessert? Can we bake a pie?”
“We sure can. What kind?”
She tapped her chin with one finger. “Apple. Because apples are good for you.”
I laughed. “Right.”
At home, I made lunch and we ate together at the table. Then we put on our matching aprons, rolled out the pie crust, prepared the filling, assembled the pie, and put it in the oven. Abby was cheerful and talkative, and some of the worry in me eased. Maybe she was okay.
