Chapter 30
CHAPTER
THIRTY
STEVIE
I’m nestled back on the couch where my life flipped on its head merely a week ago, and Bo and Audrey are right beside me again, thankfully. “It really stung you telling me to go, Bo…”
“I hated to say that, but I’d never seen Daniella that angry before, and it was all toward you, Stevie, when it didn’t need to be.” He pauses and adds quickly, “It was the only way I could think of at the time to keep everyone safe.”
“But you didn’t text after either.” I sound like a whiny baby, but it really did sting.
“I’m sorry.” He grabs the side of my face, turning my face to his and pressing his lip to mine.
“Audrey had texted you multiple times, and I didn’t want to run you off even more than I already had.
” He takes a deep breath and releases it, adding, “I had done too much already. And I didn’t want to stress Audrey out anymore, either, showing how scared I was to lose you. She was beside herself.”
“Hey! I’m right here.” She nudges his thigh with her elbow.
It does make me smile that they truly did miss me, but I don’t ever want to feel the loneliness I did those couple of days I was away from them.
“Is it going to be weird with Daniella moving back and being around?” It’s very different with her being away at college, but I’m curious to see how accepting she really is of me being with her parents.
Audrey is mindlessly rubbing my thigh as she says, “She’ll get used to it, plus she’s getting an apartment, so it’s not like we’re going to be rubbing it in her face.”
I hum in agreement while we sit and watch whatever basketball game is on the TV. We’re in a comfortable silence for a while until the next question makes it to my head. “How are we going to do this with our wild schedules, plus me caring for my grandma?”
Bo chuckles. “Grandma loves us. We can go help whenever you need us to.”
“Y’all caught her on a good day, she’s not always that happy…”
Audrey comforts me, somehow knowing I’m always stressed about others having to help with my grandma, but not wanting to put her in a nursing home yet—not ever if I can prevent it.
“And we know that too. Bo’s mom had dementia before she passed a couple of years ago, so we’re all too familiar with what it can do. ”
“She’s all I have left, and I want to take care of her as she did me. She saved me from fuck knows what kind of life with my mother.” And she did. I owe that woman my life, and I hated leaving her here as long as I did, but I had to make ends meet, and I did that through sex work.
Work that I loved and still love to this day. And I’m so thankful it was there to get me through nursing school and midwifery school, but I had to miss out on a couple of good years with my grandma.
I try not to think about it too much or I’ll get upset.
“It’ll all work out is what we’re trying to say.
Don’t feel like you have to be here twenty-four-seven, but also don’t be afraid to ask us for help.
With anything, not just your grandma. We’re here for you just like in any other relationship, but there’s just two of us.
” Bo smiles and adds, “Two for the price of one.” He winks, and I chuckle.
I roll my eyes at his antics and whine, “This feels like I’m forgiving you two way too quickly and easily…”
Bo practically purrs in my ear. “We can make it up to you any way you’d like.”
I smile at Bo while pulling Audrey closer to me on the couch. “Now I like the sound of that.”
THE END.