“You owe me one what?”
I took a deep breath as I stared straight into his eyes.
“As much as you talk about living for the here and now, you are completely stuck in the past,” I said. “You helped me learn how to deal with life, and now I’ll help you learn how to deal with death.”
Aiden was in no shape to continue our conversation. He needed to eat, and he needed to sleep. While he ate the sandwich and drank the protein shake, I went back outside to talk to Redeye and Lance. They stood as I walked out.
“Looks like you made more progress than anyone else has,” Redeye said with a grin. “I knew you would. I fucking knew it!”
“We’ll see,” I said. I wasn’t sure how I felt about him being so pleased with himself. “For now, he needs to sleep. I’ll stay with him. You guys can leave if you want.”
“Are you sure?” Lance asked. “I can just park on the couch or something. I’ve been here the past couple of nights, but I don’t think he’s noticed.”
“No,” I said. “I’m fine, really. Take a break. I don’t know how all this is going to turn out.”
Lance nodded.
“If you’re sure,” he said.
“I am.”
They both hugged me.
“You’re good people,” Redeye said. “I knew it as soon as I met you. You’re going to be great for him.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said. “I don’t know where all this is going to lead, but I’m trying to be open-minded about everything.”
“I left your luggage by the front door,” Redeye said with a grin.
I narrowed my eyes at him, annoyed with his smugness. He had been right though. I couldn’t deny him that.
Lance smiled and tipped his hat at me before they both walked back around the house to the front. I went back inside as Aiden finished up his food. A couple of minutes later, I heard their cars starting up.
“You need to sleep,” I told Aiden as I took his empty plate away and put it in the dishwasher.
“You’re going to stay?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“I don’t know yet,” I said. “That kind of depends on you.”
“I haven’t told you everything yet,” Aiden said.
“I realize that.” I ran my hand down his arm. “You can tell me in the mornin
g.”
We walked out of the kitchen and to the bedroom. I helped Aiden find some clean shorts and ordered him into the shower. While he cleaned up, I tried to sort through all the new information in my head.
Yes, Aiden had a child, but I had been completely wrong about what had happened to him. Aiden hadn’t even tried to get over his loss, much like the picture he painted of his mother after his dad had died. He didn’t have a role model when it came to grief and didn’t know how to cope with it.
The death of a child. Was anything worse?
After holding my ear up to the bathroom door and confirming Aiden was still moving around in there, I meandered to the kitchen and made myself a quick sandwich. I hadn’t eaten since I’d left home, and I was suddenly famished.
I knew I was in over my head, and Aiden ultimately needed professional help. Being the daughter of a psychologist didn’t make me an expert though it did give me the tools to help get him pointed in the right direction.