Chapter 7
We didn’t even make it to the curb before the bickering started.
By the time we slid into Topher’s waiting car, we were already mid-argument.
That’s right—Topher had a driver. And this was not the limo driver with the walker from the airport, mind you.
This one looked like his only job was to wait around until Topher snapped his fingers and demanded to be whisked somewhere important.
Like the hospital. Where we were headed. To visit his recovering mother.
With zero flowers.
I shot Topher a glare as we marched toward the hospital entrance. “Flowers are not frivolous!”
“For the last time, Mom doesn’t want flowers. I mean, she doesn’t need anything, but if we get her something, she’d rather have something useful.”
“Useful?” I threw up my hands. “Oh, sure, let’s grab her a screwdriver set. Maybe a nice set of pliers to really brighten her day!”
“She doesn’t need something that’s just going to die in a week.” His eyes were glued to his phone, which only made me more irritated. There we were, visiting his mom in the hospital, and the guy couldn’t even pull his face away from his work for five minutes.
“Yeah, well, she doesn’t need you glued to your phone either, but here we are,” I shot back. “Are you seriously working right now?”
He didn’t even bother looking up. “I’m not working. I’m just checking in.”
“Just checking in?” I stopped dead in my tracks, letting out a frustrated huff. “Topher, we’re here to visit your mom, not to make sure your company’s stocks haven’t crashed in the last five minutes.”
Miraculously, he slipped the phone into his pocket.
We marched toward the hospital entrance in stiff, irritated silence.
The tension clung to the air between us like static.
But the moment we stepped inside, the sterile smell of the hospital hit me.
It was a scent that always brought back memories. Bad memories.
Topher’s pace slowed as we approached the recovery wing, and worry creased his forehead.
At his mom’s door, a nurse stepped out, smiling warmly. “You can go in. She’s doing well. The surgery went smoothly.”
His mom was lying in bed, looking pale but peaceful, her eyes closed. Her hair was a little disheveled, and the lines on her face showed exhaustion, but when she opened her eyes and saw us, her whole face lit up.
“Hey, you two,” she said weakly, her voice full of warmth.
Topher walked over to her bedside and gently adjusted her pillow, smoothing it with careful hands. “Hey, Mom.”
“There’s my boy.” She reached up and patted his arm. Then her gaze shifted to me, and despite her exhaustion, she smiled. “And Kathleen, sweetie, thank you for coming.”
Topher moved closer, sitting down on the edge of her bed. Without missing a beat, he stroked her hair back gently, as if it were something he’d done a thousand times. “How are you feeling?” He spoke softly.
His mom squeezed his hand weakly. “Tired, but okay. The doctor said everything went well.”
Topher nodded, his thumb absentmindedly brushing over the back of her hand in circles. “I’m glad, Mom. You had us worried.”
She smiled again, her eyes flicking to me with warmth. “I’m just glad I woke up to see two of my favorite people. I feel better already with you both here.”
I returned her smile, but inside, I was still processing how tender this whole moment felt.
As much as Topher could be the most infuriating person on the planet, seeing him being this gentle and loving toward his mom made me see him differently.
There was a sweetness to him I hadn’t expected.
Underneath all the bickering, the workaholic tendencies, the constant tension between us, he was kind. At least to his mom.
She shifted and squeezed Topher’s hand. “I’ve been thinking about taking a break from Muses.”
Topher leaned in. “You’ve been talking about this for a while. Are you ready?”
She nodded. “The doctors say I need to slow down. I’ve got a good team in place, but it’s hard to let go. Muses has been my life for the past decade, but it’s time.”
Topher’s concern was apparent. “If you need anything, let me know.”
She smiled, her eyes twinkling. “Maybe it’ll give me more time to meddle in your life.”
Just as I was starting to wrap my head around this whole new version of Topher, the door creaked open and a tall man in a white coat walked in.
Dr. Julius was the kind of doctor who looked like he belonged in an old-school medical TV drama.
He had salt-and-pepper hair, thick glasses perched on his nose, and a clipboard tucked under his arm.
His calm, authoritative presence somehow made you feel both safe and as though you were about to be scolded for not eating enough vegetables.
The doctor stepped forward to review her charts and vitals, approaching her bedside. Topher instinctively stepped away from his mom’s side and came to stand next to me.
“Ah, good to see you two,” Dr. Julius said with a nod, looking at Topher and me. “Your mother’s doing remarkably well. In fact, if things continue like this, I don’t see why she can’t go home tomorrow.”
Topher’s mom beamed. “Home tomorrow? That’s wonderful!”
Dr. Julius smiled. “Yes, she’s recovering even faster than expected. We’ll run a few more tests in the morning, but barring any surprises, you’ll be out of here by tomorrow afternoon.” He smiled at her and gave another quick nod.
It was right at that moment—totally out of nowhere—that Topher reached over and grabbed my hand.
It felt awkward at first, like some forced performance for his mother’s benefit.
His grip was a little stiff, his fingers slightly tense.
But then something shifted. As Dr. Julius continued talking about the final tests, Topher’s grip loosened, his fingers relaxing in mine.
And it didn’t feel so forced anymore. His hand was warm, solid, and. .. nice. Really nice, actually.
I tried to keep my expression neutral, pretending like I wasn’t hyper-aware of the fact that Topher, Mr. Annoying Workaholic Extraordinaire, was holding my hand in this soft, almost reassuring way.
I could feel a slight tingle up my arm, and as awkward as it had started, I found myself not wanting to pull away.
The moment Dr. Julius was gone, Josephine turned to us with a cheery smile. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you two, I’m not sure if you noticed, but I’m storing some holiday decorations in your old bedroom, Topher.”
Topher and I froze. Some holiday decorations? That was the understatement of the century. More like, all the holiday decorations, plus a partridge in a pear tree. For heaven’s sake, you couldn’t even see the bed, let alone sleep in it.
“Oh, and don’t touch anything,” his mother said. “I know exactly where everything is. I have it all just the way I like it.”
I shot a quick, wide-eyed glance at Topher, who looked just as horrified as I felt. Just the way she likes it? If we hadn’t moved half that mess, we’d need to sleep standing up.
Josephine seemed oblivious to the fact that the room had been a hazard zone. “I need to know where everything is for the holidays.”
My face must’ve mirrored Topher’s as we stared at his mom, who was looking so peaceful in her hospital bed. She had no idea that Topher’s gardener had already hauled most of the stuff into the garage. And I wasn’t about to be the one to break it to her.
Suddenly, Topher squeezed my hand. Something shifted in my heart, and I felt for the first time like we were in this together. It didn’t feel bad.
Topher shifted uncomfortably, his mouth opening and closing like he was searching for the right thing to say. Finally, he settled on a very noncommittal, “Uh, sure, Mom. We’ll figure it out.”
The door swung open again, and a nurse bustled in. “Time to let your mom get some rest.”
We walked over to his mom’s bedside. Without missing a beat, Topher leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, and I followed suit, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek.
“Get some rest, Mom,” Topher said softly, his voice full of warmth.
As we straightened up, I noticed that our hands were still loosely linked. But as we pulled back, our fingers slipped apart. It was strange, the absence of his touch.
The drive back to the house was quiet. There was no bickering, no snarky remarks. By the time we got inside, the night had settled into calm silence, the kind that makes you want to curl up and drift off.
Topher tossed his keys on the counter, turning to me. “I’ve got a lot of work to catch up on. I’ll take the couch tonight,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “You take the bedroom.”
We moved around the house, checking all the deadbolts and making sure the curtains were drawn tight. The last thing we needed was for Gladys, the nosiest neighbor on the planet, to spot anything suspicious. With all that done, Topher settled onto the couch, and I headed for the bedroom.
I slipped under the covers. With his mom coming home tomorrow, we’d be stuck in her guest room together, pretending to be a happy couple. Sleeping in the same room.