Chapter 2

2.

The nurse gave me a strange look.

"Have you actually never been here to take care of your mother?"

"She's wearing a catheter bag. That smell is from changing it."

Another sideways way of saying I was a bad son.

I stiffened, then rushed to explain.

"My ex-wife used to look after her. I was the one earning money for the family."

"If I hadn't been out making money, with my mother in this state, how would she even afford a hospital bed?"

I couldn't tell if the young nurse took any of that in.

Either way, she dropped the subject.

She started teaching me how to do my mother's rehab exercises.

She lifted one leg, and I followed with the other.

Age had probably caught up with my mother; she gave off that old-person smell. It wasn't that I looked down on her, I'm just sensitive to smells.

Holding her leg and working it back and forth, I really could barely keep it together.

After only a few reps, I called Joy Sanchez.

"Why didn't you come do the rehab for us today? I've got a really important meeting."

"My people are chasing me on this, so you—"

She cut me off.

"Clarence Sawyer, we're getting divorced. That's your mother, not mine."

"Didn't we already settle this on the phone this morning?"

"Or is it that you can't handle it?"

I ground my back teeth.

This was the first time I'd ever seen her so quick with her tongue.

"I'm giving you a chance here. Since you don't know how to value it, forget it."

"I was even thinking, if you'd come back and keep doing your duty as a daughter-in-law, I'd pay you an extra two hundred an hour."

I'd asked around. A caregiver only earns two or three hundred a day.

Joy turned it down flat.

"Didn't you say your mother's a clean freak, that she doesn't like strangers touching her?"

"I'm a stranger now too. The only one who isn't is you, her own son."

"Take good care of her. Don't contact me unless it's necessary."

The call cut off again.

I was so angry I wanted to smash the phone, but in the end I held back.

I thought it over, then called Bella Cross.

"Come down to the hospital. I'll bump up your pay."

She wouldn't do one hour of work, so I'd find someone who would.

These days, who ever complains about too much money?

Bella arrived fast, a coy little smile on her face.

"Boss, why'd you call me all the way to a hospital?"

"You really shouldn't, here of all places..."

I cut her off and pointed at the room.

"Your chance to make it official is here. The paperwork with my wife is already in the works. You cover for me and look after my mother for a while, and once it's finalized, you'll be my wife, fair and square."

"From now on, whatever you want, I'll give you."

The smile froze on Bella's face. She looked at the room, then looked at me.

"Boss, are you joking?"

My expression darkened.

Why was this woman dragging it out so much?

"Do you know how many women want to be Mrs. Sawyer? And I'm giving the chance to you alone. You'd better appreciate that."

"Once you're Mrs. Sawyer, you'll understand. For any woman, money is the greatest tonic there is."

That got to Bella.

She looked at the room, then walked in without another hesitation.

I pulled out a cigarette, meaning to step out to the corridor for a smoke. I'd barely taken a few steps when Bella came running back out.

She wrapped her arms around my waist and cried.

"Boss, boss, my stomach hurts."

"I have to run to the bathroom first. The nurse says the next round of exercises is about to start, so you go help out for now."

"I'll be back in a bit and take over right away."

By the time the full rehab session was done, she still hadn't come back.

I felt like I'd been steeped in that smell until it soaked all the way through me.

I stepped out of the room and only then found her waiting at the door.

There was a takeout meal in her hands, guilt on that pretty little face.

"Boss, I think something's wrong with my stomach. I'm so sorry I couldn't help."

"I know you've been taking care of Auntie this whole time, so I got a courier to run over to that big restaurant you love and pick this up. You must be worn out. Come on, have a taste."

The fury that had almost boiled up to the top of my head scattered completely in that moment.

She lifted a bite of food to my mouth.

The anger I'd been storing up finally eased off a little.

I opened my mouth, just about to eat it, when another call came in.

"Hello, is this Hunter's father? Hunter's the only child left at the preschool. When are you coming to get him?"

I gripped the phone, the fury climbing higher and higher, and the second I hung up I called Joy.

"What kind of mother are you? Our son is all alone at preschool. You can't be bothered to go get him?"

On the other end there was easy, soothing music and the clink of glasses.

"Clarence Sawyer, if your brain's stopped working, go see a doctor."

"Do I really need to repeat what I said on the phone earlier?"

My whole body went rigid, and I quickly changed my angle.

"He's still your son, after all. I just finished taking care of our mother. Couldn't you find the time to go—"