Liam finally succumbed to the somber mood when his mother was moved to hospice. Her medications were tweaked to his specifications, and within a few hours, Mrs. DiNatali was awake. She could not speak, but they worked out a communication method of one blink for a yes, and two for a no. The system worked great until Nate kept forgetting to ask a question with a yes or no answer.
Molly tried to separate herself from Liam when the matriarch was moved, but the family would not hear of it. Warren brought the children, so she made herself useful watching the six of them in the hospice library so Warren could be with his wife and her family.
After a couple hours, Liam, his siblings and Warren decided to give their father some time alone with his wife. Jess breathed a sigh of relief when her eldest son saw her fragile state and hugged her without pause.
Molly looked around at the deflated adults and the stir-crazy children. “I’m going out to grab dinner. Anyone want Chinese?”
Jess looked like she might kiss Molly. “Yes! Thank you. Anything without shrimp for me. Kids will eat lo mein without a fight.”
Everyone chimed in with their preferences as Molly pulled her coat on. Liam mirrored her actions with his own coat, and Nate and Jess noted that where she went, Liam was sure to follow.
Molly turned on her car and leaned her head back, sighing at the quiet.
“You alright?” Liam asked, taking in her temperament as she deflated next to him.
“Me? I’m fine. I should be asking you that. Did you get to talk to your mom? How’s she feeling?”
Liam buckled his seatbelt and reached for her hand, placing it atop his knee. “She’s pretty numb, and a little dizzy. Dry mouth. Things like that. But the tradeoff is we actually got to say goodbye to her. She stopped eating and won’t take a feeding tube.” He closed his eyes. “It won’t be long now. She’ll probably be gone by the morning.”
Molly squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry, Liam. You’re a good son. I’m glad she got to see you and know you were there for her. That’s a powerful thing, your support.”
Liam let out a short noise of derision. “I’m not a good son. I’ve been gone too long. I didn’t keep in touch like I should’ve.” He looked out the window as Molly drove them out of the parking lot toward the nearest Chinese place. “I wanted to get her flowers, but I don’t even know her favorite kind. What kind of a son doesn’t know that?”
“Um, a lot of them, I’d imagine. But we can fix that one. Your mom’s favorite flowers are snapdragons and tiger lilies. She told me when we were replanting the tiger lilies Kyle ran over.”
Liam chewed on his thumbnail, watching the world whip by him in the twilight. “Of course you would know how to fix the one thing that’s been making me crazy. It just figures.”
“What figures?”
“That you’re exactly what I need.” He looked over at her, seeing her thick black hair, curly eyelashes, and all the beauty that could be wrapped up in a pair of blue jeans and an old t-shirt, and he knew. “Is this what it’s like?”
“What?”
“To be happy?”
Molly smiled as she pulled under the neon sign of the restaurant that blinked “Open” at her. “It’s a first for me, too. I guess we’re just late bloomers.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and pecked him on the cheek. “You wait here. You’ve had a long day. I’ll place the order and come right back. Then we can see if there are any flower shops still open while they make our food.”
He grabbed her hand and looked into her lovely eyes. “You know I’m crazy about you, right?”
Molly gave him a lopsided grin. “You’re crazy, alright.” She walked into the restaurant that housed too many cheap Asian tchotchkes, and instantly her stomach groaned. She placed the tall order, noting with a resigned frown the price that was chipping away at her master plan. People are more important. If you can’t build your power grid right away, it won’t kill you. You’ll still get out. Taking a week off of work is a normal thing that most people do from time to time. His mother’s dying. That’s priority. Power grids can wait.
The flower shop two streets down was still open, and thankfully, had a small bouquet of tiger lilies for sale. Liam sighed as if a large burden had been lifted from his shoulders when he brought them into the car. “I know taking time off deviates from your plan. I hope it’s not setting you back too much.”
Molly shook her head, ashamed at how important her plan was if Liam was feeling guilty about it while his mother was dying. “No, no. I have enough for the property. That’s the important part. The rest are just trappings I can save for like any normal homeowner.”
“Still.” He juggled the fragrant flowers on his lap. “I know what you’re giving up to be with me. Thank you.”
When Molly went to pay for the takeout, Liam would not have it. He palmed her face to hold her back and slipped his card to the clerk. His only explanation when they got into the car was, “I haven’t bought anything for my sister in a long time. Seeing the way Kyle treats you? I don’t want Jess to feel that from me.”
Molly linked her fingers through his. “Trust me, Liam. You are nothing like Kyle.”