Luca
I placed Violet on the bed, then pulled the covers up. The tearstains on her cheeks made my own eyes sting, but I clenched my jaw and tucked the blankets around her.
I heard the door push open and glanced over to see the huge pit bull stroll in. He walked around to where I was standing and sniffed my hand before huffing and then climbing up on the bed beside Violet. His huge head rested on her pillow, and he pressed his nose against hers, making her shift in her sleep. Her arms went around him, and she buried her face in his fur before falling back to sleep.
“Watch over your momma,” I told the dog. “But I’ll be close by if she needs me.”
That only got me another huff from the dog, and I shook my head at him as I kissed the top of Violet’s head before switching off the bedside lamp and leaving the room. Making sure the door was cracked so the dog could come and go as he pleased, I turned to go back downstairs, only to find Jenner standing a few feet away.
His concerned gaze went to the ajar door before lifting back to mine. “How is she?”
“She’s resting,” I assured him. “The dog will comfort her if she wakes up.”
“I’ll stay here. In case she needs something.” He stood at parade rest with his hands behind his back, his gaze on the guest room door.
“I’ll be downstairs attempting to get the others to go home so she isn’t overwhelmed tomorrow.” I squeezed the back of my neck, dreading having to kick out the parentals but knowing I didn’t have a choice. Violet would clam up and try to be brave if everyone was around to see that she wasn’t okay. My stubborn girl would think of everyone else and forget that it was okay not to be okay all the time. “If she wakes up crying, let me know.”
He nodded but kept his gaze on the door.
Downstairs, I went straight to the living room where my parents and uncles were gathered. When I’d first arrived, I was so focused on Violet that I hadn’t even noticed my mom was there. As I walked into the room, she came over to hug me. “Honey, are you sure you should be here?” she whispered, glancing at the others. “Violet is very fragile right now.”
I kissed the top of her head and stepped back. “It’s okay, Mom,” I told her with a grim smile. “Remington wanted me to be here.”
“That makes no sense to me,” Aunt Harper said as she stood and put her hands on her hips. “Actually, none of this makes sense. Remington was sick? He’s been fucking dying, and Violet knew? Why didn’t she tell me? Why didn’t she…” She broke off with a sob. “Why has she kept this bottled up for so long?”
Uncle Shane pulled her into his arms. “You know how Vi is, beautiful. She wants to protect everyone.”
“I can’t explain why Vi didn’t tell you,” I told them. “But I can tell you about Remington’s illness. He kept me up-to-date on his condition so I was prepared for this.”
Aunt Emmie came in from the kitchen with a tray of coffee. Uncle Nik took it from her and placed it on a side table. I glanced at the mugs longingly, and he handed me a cup first. I took a drink and dropped down on a chair as exhaustion began to catch up with me.
Around me, the others each grabbed a cup of coffee
for themselves and spread out on the furniture. Once they were all seated, I told them about Remington’s tumor and how sick he’d really been in the last few weeks. I wasn’t even sure Violet knew just how bad things had gotten for her husband, because I knew Remington tried to hide his symptoms from her so she didn’t stress over him.
“So, you’ve been in constant contact with Remington all this time without Violet knowing?” Dad asked, his brows lifted.
“Yeah, basically.” I finished the last of my coffee and set the cup on the table in front of me. “He knew she would need me once he passed.”
“That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard,” Aunt Lana muttered as she rested her head on Uncle Drake’s shoulder. “He took care of her to the very end. Even as he was leaving her, he was thinking of making sure she was okay. But to do so, he had to leave her in the hands of another guy. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I could do the same thing in that position.”
“Me either,” my uncle said with a grunt as he kissed the top of her head.
“I know you guys are here to support Violet, but I really need you to go home.” They all looked at me like I’d lost my mind, and I muttered a curse before getting to my feet. “You know how Vi is. She’s not going to be able to really grieve with all of you here to watch her fall apart. She thinks she has to be strong every minute of the day when others might hurt too. That was one of the reasons Remington entrusted her to me. Because he knows she’ll let go if it’s me who is taking care of her.”
Uncle Shane blew out a frustrated sigh. “Yeah, okay.” He stood and carefully tugged his wife up beside him. “We’ll get out of the way and let her have a little time. But if she needs us…”
“You will be the first person I call,” I promised and waited for the others to stand as well.
Reluctantly they filed out, until I was the only one in the living room.
As I heard the door close behind the last of them, my gaze fell on the framed picture of Violet and Remington on their wedding day. She was looking up at him with her entire heart in her eyes. I remembered how it felt to have her look at me like that, and my eyes began to sting.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I dropped down on the couch and scrubbed my hands over my face. “I’ll survive this,” I muttered to the empty room. “This is for her. She needs me.”
I just needed to keep reminding myself of that, and maybe I’d make it through this hell without fucking up.
--