I checked my watch. It couldn't have been more than an hour that I didn't check my phone. Seriously, mother?
“What was so important that you came all the way over here?” I asked, doing my best to keep my thin robe wrapped discreetly around me. I could see the edges of Jacob's wet jeans poking out from underneath my bed. I just hoped my mother didn't look too closely.
“What were you doing? You're all flushed.” She frowned and put the back of her hand on my forehead.
I was having hot, kinky sex, mother, I wanted to say. But I didn't. I didn't feel like dying today.
“Exercising.” It was close to the truth. Jacob did give me a good workout and I would be sore in all the right places later.
“Oh. Well, whatever you're doing is working,” mom said, looking me up and down. “You're practically glowing.”
“Um. Thanks.”
“But, why are you naked?” she asked again, pointedly looking at my thin little robe.
“Because I was just about to shower,” I replied. “I just exercised, got all sweaty, wasn't looking at my phone, and was just about to get in the shower.”
It sounded surprisingly reasonable considering I made it up on the fly.
“Well, I need you to come to the house with me,” my mom said. She fiddled with the purse strap over her shoulder. For a moment, she lost her confidence. “It's your dad.”
The pit of my stomach fell out.
“What happened?” I asked, fear starting to fill my middle.
“It's not a big deal, but he fell this afternoon. He says he's fine, but I don't believe him.” She tugged harder on the purse strap.
Cold washed over me despite the open window and the hot humid air flowing in.
“I'm going to get dressed. Will you step into the hall and tell me more?” I asked my mom.
“Of course.” She readjusted her purse and stepped out into the hallway, keeping the door between us cracked open. I ran around my room looking for clothes that were clean and belonged to me.
With my mom no longer in the room, I turned to the window to see Jacob by his bike pulling up his scrub pants. At least he was dressed now. He looked up and made a question motion. I quickly shook my head and pushed the window down.
“Your dad was working out in the garage. I hadn't heard from him and it was dinner time, so I went to get him. He was on the floor and couldn't get up. He was just so weak.” She paused and took a deep breath. “He says he's just tired and to let him rest
. He didn't want me to bother you, but... I'm worried and I just don't know what to do.”
I swallowed down the cold dread and slipped a soft t-shirt over my head. I gave myself a second to take a deep breath before putting on a smile for my mother.
“I'll help,” I promised, opening my bedroom door. “That's why I'm here.”
“I know, and I'm so glad.” My mom smiled sadly. She shook her head and sniffled, then put on a chipper smile to cover her fear. “Did I see Dr. Matthews bike under your tree? It's a good spot to keep it out of the rain.”
“Uh....” Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Come up with a reasonable explanation, Hannah.... “He's, uh, he's here helping me with something. Outside.”
“He's such a gentleman,” my mother replied. “Always helping everyone.”
“Yeah. That's it.” I forced a smile. “I'm going to go let him know I'm leaving.” I was already halfway down the stairs. How did my mother see his bike? Was her x-ray vision from my childhood still intact?
I sprinted out the unlocked front door.
“Jacob, she knows you're here,” I whispered as loud as I dared, running toward the tree. I found him under the tree with sex hair and despite the fact that my mother wasn't far behind me, all I could think about was jumping his bones again.
“How much did she see?” he asked, pinking slightly in his cheeks.
“Just your bike here,” I replied. “I told her you were helping me.”