Chapter 13
Derrik had been stabilized and moved to a cubicle. He looked pale, weak, but still smiling. Eila sat beside him, her hands wringing in her lap, her worry evident in the tight lines around her mouth. She had barely left his side since he had been admitted.
Cadi placed a reassuring hand on her mother's shoulder. "Mam, you can't stay here all night. You need rest."
Eila shook her head. "I can't go home, Cadi. Not with Derrik like this. Rochdale's too far, and I can't be an hour away if something happens."
Before Cadi could offer a solution, Gray spoke up. "You should stay with us. It's a short commute to the hospital, and there's plenty of room."
Eila hesitated, her gaze flicking between them. "Are you sure? I don't want to be in the way."
"You won't be," Gray said firmly. "You are family."
Cadi nodded, though a pang of unease settled in her stomach. Gray had barely spoken to her in days, his distance growing more apparent. Even now, he seemed to avoid looking at her directly.
As the days passed, Gray became more withdrawn. He was practically living at the hospital, working late shifts and leaving early in the morning. The brief moments they shared felt stilted, as though an invisible wall had been erected between them.
Callum had stepped in to help without question. He picked Tomos up from school, brought him to rugby practice, and made sure he was looked after. It was a relief, even though it stung that Gray was too absent to notice.
One evening, after rugby practice, Callum was dropping Tomos off. The boy was bouncing on his heels, still energized from the game, chatting animatedly with Callum as they walked toward the house. There was an ease between them, a familiarity that had grown in Gray's absence.
Gray was just heading out the door for his evening shift when he caught sight of them. His eyes locked onto Callum and Tomos, and something dark flickered in his gaze. He lingered for just a second too long before striding toward his car.
"Da?" Tomos called out cheerfully.
But Gray kept walking, as if he hadn't heard.
Tomos' face fell, confusion flickering across his features. His small hand clenched around the strap of his backpack. "Why is Da mad? What did I do?"
Cadi's chest tightened. "Nothing, sweetheart. You did nothing wrong."
But Tomos' lower lip wobbled, and suddenly, he burst into tears.
Eila, who had been standing in the doorway, immediately stepped forward. "Come here, love," she murmured, pulling him into a warm embrace. "How about we go inside and bake some cookies? Just you and me."
Tomos sniffled and nodded, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
Cadi turned to Callum. "I'm sorry. He—he shouldn't have acted like that."
Callum gave her a small, understanding smile. "It's alright, Cadi. But you need to talk to him."
She nodded, but her stomach twisted.
Later that night, after Tomos had gone to bed, Eila placed a cup of tea in front of Cadi and sat beside her at the kitchen table. The house was quiet, the only sound the distant hum of the refrigerator.
"Now," Eila said gently, "tell me everything. What's going on with Gray? You both... seem different."
Cadi let out a shuddering breath, the weight of the last few weeks crashing down on her. And then, she broke.
Sobs wracked her body as she told her mother everything—Gray's distance, the extra shifts, the way he had stopped coming home, the moment she had seen him with Vanessa. Every fear, every insecurity, every ache in her chest spilled out into the space between them.
Eila listened in silence, her expression unreadable, until Cadi had nothing left to say.
Then, she reached for her daughter's hand and squeezed. "Oh, love."
Cadi wiped at her swollen eyes. "What do I do, Mam? He won't talk to me. He barely looks at me. I don't even know if we're—if we're okay anymore."
Eila exhaled slowly. "You need to talk to him, properly. No more avoiding it. No more waiting for him to come around. You need to lay it all out."
Cadi swallowed, her throat raw. "And if he doesn't listen?"
Eila's eyes softened. "Then you make him. You are my daughter. What happened to that temper?"
Cadi nodded, though fear coiled tight in her stomach.
Eila reached for her tea, her voice quieter now. "Derrik is going to be discharged tomorrow. I'll be heading home soon, but I want you to know that I'm here for you. No matter what."
Cadi blinked back fresh tears and nodded. "Thanks, Mom."
Eila cupped her cheek, brushing away a stray tear. "You're stronger than you think, Cadi. And whatever happens, you won't be alone."
Cadi closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. But even as she took comfort in her mother's words, the uncertainty of what lay ahead loomed over her.