“Is there anything I can do?”
“No, not unless you can make this whole thing go away.” She wiped the tears from her face. “I’m just not ready.”
“I know this whole thing must be devastating for you and your kids.”
“It’s just so hard.” She inhaled a deep breath. “I’ve accepted the fact that I’m losing him—I have for over a year—but now that he’s here, I know I’m going to lose him so much faster, especially when they start pumping him full of all that morphine.”
“The morphine won’t expedite things. It’s only used to make him more comfortable.”
“So, he won’t just slip away?”
“Not the way you might think.”
I took some time to explain how the drugs would be administered and how often the doctor had prescribed them. I also told her how the doses may vary depending on how he is doing, and by the time I was finished explaining the entire process, she was no longer crying and seemed to be more at ease.
She reached over and gave me a hug as she whispered, “Thank you for taking the time to talk to me about all this. I really appreciate it.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” I smiled. “If there’s anything you need or if you have any other questions, you just let me know.”
“Okay, I will. I’m really glad he has you looking out for him.”
“I’m glad I’m here, too. I’m going to touch base with his doctor and let him know he’s settled. I’ll check in with you both before I leave for the day.”
“Great. I’ll see you then.”
Even though I knew there would be many more to come, I left Michele feeling like I’d helped her through a fleeting rough spot. Moments like these made my job feel worthwhile.
Once I checked in with David’s doctor, I went to my office and finished up some paperwork. I hadn’t been there long when Delilah came by. She peeked her head inside the doorway as she asked, “Hey, girl. How’s it going?”
“It’s going.” I shrugged with a smile. “Been a long day, and it’s not close to being over. What about you?”
“Not too bad.” Excitement filled her voice as she told me, “I just found out that I’m off on Monday!”
“A long weekend! That’s great! I gotta say, I’m a little jealous.”
“Maybe you will get a little time off soon, too.”
“Yeah, I was thinking I might take a few days during Cat’s spring break... maybe go up to the mountains for a night or two.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’d love that.”
“I think so, too.” I glanced over at the clock and stood as I told her, “Speaking of Cat, I have to pick her up from school.”
“Okay. I’ll check in with you later.”
“Great. Sounds good.” As I started for the door, I told her, “If I don’t see you, enjoy that long weekend!”
“I’m going to try.”
After I left my office, I went to the school to pick up Cat, then we went to her appointment with Katie. While Cat and I had talked at great length about what occurred during her visit with her father and she seemed to be handling things, I thought it was best for her to have a session with Katie to be sure.
As I’d hoped, it went extremely well, and Cat came out of her session with a bright smile on her face. We left there and headed straight home to get dinner started—only dinner was already there when we arrived.
When I pulled up in the driveway, I found Thatch standing next to his truck with several takeout bags, and he was talking to Celeste. I could only imagine what she was saying to him, so I quickly parked and told Cat, “Looks like we have company.”
“Is that Thatch?”
“It is.”
“He looks different.” She scrunched her nose and leaned forward to get a better look. “He shaved his beard!”
Without waiting for me to join her, Cat opened her door and rushed over to Thatch. I watched as he knelt down next to her and gave her a warm smile. She immediately started talking, and it wasn’t long before he nodded, then ran his hand proudly over his chin. My chest tightened as I watched them together.
Cat wasn’t afraid.
Instead, she was perfectly at ease with him.
I shouldn’t have been surprised that my daughter felt so safe with him. From the very beginning, I’d felt exactly the same way about him. I couldn’t explain why. At first glance, the man was all muscles and tattoos, with an MC president’s cut and a fierce expression, but there was a kindness in his eyes and compassion in his touch. I’d seen it, felt it, and it was clear I wasn’t the only one.
I got out of my car, and by the time I made my way over to them, Thatch was telling her, “I hope you’re hungry. I brought lots of spaghetti and cheesy bread that you’re gonna have to help me eat up.”