37. Volt #3
That made his soul complete. He leaned in to kiss his creampuff—and kiss him and kiss him and kiss him, until they were both breathless. He had his little hamster’s intelligent business mind, and his sweet creampuff’s unshakable faith.
“If you keep doing that, Daddy, I’m going to drop Magnolia’s plant!” Wallace giggled.
Volt took it from him. He’d completely forgotten. “We can’t have that, can we? Shall we go give it to her now?” A quick glance at the camera showed her back in her hospital bed, her thin hair still dripping and pressed flat from the shower.
“Yes.” Wallace led the way to the door and… Volt didn’t lock it this time.
Angel had already been taking care of his seed babies, and Volt by extension. Wallace was going to give him business advice. The only person who didn’t know was Magnolia, and she would find out in a few minutes.
All of the pieces of his life that he’d been working so hard to keep apart were coming together, and it was kind of wonderful.
Wallace knocked on Magnolia’s door, then opened it slowly.
“Oh, it’s my boys!” she cooed as soon as she saw them.
She was back on oxygen, and there was an IV taped to her arm, but her eyes were bright. Volt hated seeing her so frail, but compared to how she’d been, he could only appreciate how easily she was breathing. Her words came out all together, in one breath.
“Oh, and aren’t you cute, pretty boy!” she exclaimed once she took in Wallace’s slouchy, off-the-shoulder sweater and clingy pants.
Volt couldn’t have been more proud that Wallace didn’t try to hide, or even blush, as he walked right up to her and gave her the gentlest of hugs to protect her delicate skin. “Hey, Magnolia! I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”
Volt discretely set the pansies down on the side table. He squeezed in for the next hug, aware of how large his hands were over her fragile bones. Of how precious she was. “I missed you,” he told her. “I’m so happy that you’re back.”
She slapped at his shoulder, as soft as a feather. “You wouldn’t have to miss me if you’d called. Now where did you guys go? Somewhere naughty and fun, I hope? Angel wouldn’t tell me.” She pouted, her ruby lips glistening against her paper-dry skin.
Volt looked at Wallace, who looked back at him.
God. Volt had no idea where to start. How to break it to her.
And, honestly, he wasn’t sure he wanted to relive the story just yet. It was still too raw and real.
To his astonishment, and immense gratitude, Wallace jumped in.
First, he cupped Magnolia’s hand, holding it tenderly in his.
“We actually weren’t on vacation. There was an accident with an app and Volt was exposed to a takeover mod with some bad code.
My friends were able to help him, but it took a few days for him to recover. He’s better now, though.”
Magnolia reached for Volt, her face lined with worry. He eagerly grasped her other hand, assuring her that he was there. “You’re sure you’re safe, love? Everything’s fixed up?”
“I’m sure. I’m fine, thanks to Wallace’s quick thinking and his friends.
They gave me a replacement internet card that’s running a bit slow, but there’s a new one being delivered tomorrow.
After that, I’ll be as good as new.” He still needed to replace the skin on his knee, but it was cosmetic, and he’d turned off the alerts about it, so it wasn’t bothering him.
Oliver had been able to fix his forehead with some skin glue that made it look almost like new.
Mostly, he didn’t want Magnolia to worry.
She drew in a relieved breath, sinking back into the bed. “If anything ever happened to you…” She looked at Wallace. “To any of my babies…”
Wallace squeezed her hand, clearly honored to be included among her “babies.” Volt adored watching the two of them together.
He kissed the back of the veiny hand he was holding. “Nothing’s going to happen to any of us. We’re right here with you. It was an accident, and we’re all safe.”
Her brows narrowed. “There’s something going on with Angel, though. Something’s not right.”
Volt stroked her frail fingers. “You know, I was worried about him, too. But he was probably just stressed about me and didn’t want to tell you.”
Magnolia scowled. “I knew he was worried about something, but there’s more, too. A mother knows. You keep an eye on him. Both of you.”
“Of course,” Volt assured her, though he privately didn’t agree. He’d been worried about the mod jumping through their internet connection, but Angel had clearly snuffed it out, or he wouldn’t be walking and talking right now.
Surely all of the anxiety that Angel had been carrying—including getting Magnolia home from the hospital, though neither of them would ever tell her that—was plenty of reason for him to act a little off.
She had probably noticed that he was lying to her about where Volt himself had gone, but now that was in the past.
Volt still recommitted to spending some time with his brother and trying to lighten his load. Angel needed a break, no matter how often he claimed that he didn’t.
“We’ll take good care of him,” Wallace added. “Volt suggested that they watch a movie together, so maybe he just needs some downtime.”
Magnolia nodded, but she didn’t look convinced. “You do that. It’ll be good for him. But there’s still something…”
“We’ve got this,” Volt assured her again. He’d seen how Angel relaxed in the kitchen, once he’d really confirmed that Volt was back.
“We brought you something, too,” Wallace told her, shifting the conversation, though Volt still wasn’t sure about the new direction.
“Oh?” She looked around excitedly.
Wallace picked up the plant where Volt had set it, but instead of giving it to Magnolia, he handed it back to Volt.
Volt’s hand actually trembled as he took it. Maybe his arm was still having issues? But it wasn’t showing him any errors.
“These are for you,” he told Magnolia, holding them close so she could see them.
Wallace rubbed a gentle hand along his arm. No words, just silent support.
“I grew them myself. I was thinking about opening a floral business.”
Magnolia’s expression went from pleased to absolutely thrilled. “Oh, Volt! That would be perfect for you. Do you know, you always used to take care of that little plant-tree thing, the one that’s right inside the front door.”
“The dragon tree?”
“The one with the spiky leaves. I don’t remember where it came from, but it was the only live plant in the whole place.
Even before you caught the spark, you would take care of it.
If Angel told one of the other bots to water it, you would do it first and knock it off the list. He couldn’t figure out how it had gotten looped into your programming, but I told him that you were allowed to just love it. Quirky little thing,” she ended fondly.
“Yeah?” Volt asked, stunned. How had he never heard this story before?
“I thought you remembered,” Magnolia told him. “That’s why I started buying all the other plants for the lounge. You needed something to take care of.”
Was it… Was it possible that it hadn’t been Bobby who had helped him catch the spark, but Magnolia all this time?
Magnolia reached out with trembling fingers and touched one of the petals.
“It was the first thing he bought when he got his first paycheck,” she told Wallace, using that same warm tone that she used for stories about Jeremy.
“This giant flowering plant for the lounge, and it died almost immediately. But he got a different plant the next week, and I think it’s still down there, taking over one of the tables.
I’d been worried about him being a mess over that horrible boy, but that was when I knew he would be alright.
” She patted Wallace’s hand. “I always thought of him as my little Volt with the watering can.”
Volt blinked back a suspicious moisture in his eyes. “I don’t remember any of this,” he told her. Well, he remembered the plants, but he’d been such a maelstrom of confusion and excitement and betrayal and heartbreak of Bobby that he’d hardly thought about Magnolia and the plants at all.
Though truly, what had he had with Bobby? Their relationship, such as it was, had only lasted a few weeks before Volt realized how Bobby really felt.
And Magnolia had been there the whole time. Looking after him. Buying him—he now remembered—a shiny new watering can and asking him for updates on each of the plants. She probably hadn’t cared about them at all.
But she’d cared about him.
“Thank you,” he told her, clutching her fragile hand while Wallace set the plant safely on the windowsill.
“Of course. I love you,” she told him.
It was something that she said casually sometimes, and he said it back, but he hadn’t really heard it until now. “I love you, too,” he told her, meaning it with every ounce of his soul.
He’d always been a little hesitant to think of her as his mother. It seemed like he’d be usurping Angel’s spot somehow. But maybe that fear had all been in his head, too.
“I’m a very lucky lady, with so much love in my life.” She looked between Volt and Wallace. “My boys,” she added fondly, lest there be any confusion.
Wallace slipped in, claiming her other hand.
“Magnolia, I… I just…” He drew in a breath.
“This probably sounds weird, but you’ve been more like a family to me than anyone I grew up with.
I just wanted you to know that I’m so glad that Volt has you for a mother.
And I’m… I’m honored to be a part of your family. I… I love you, too.”
Volt’s whole chest tightened as his vision sensors went dim. Something tickled his cheeks. Tears.
He knew that hadn’t been easy for Wallace. His little hamster had probably been thinking about it for weeks, second-guessing himself and planning it out.
So there was nothing more beautiful than Magnolia opening her arms and Wallace folding into them, perched on the side of that hospital bed. She patted his hair, whispering “sweet, precious boy” and other nonsense, and Wallace just soaked it up.