Knight’s driver pulled us up to the doors, and after letting me out, I told him I’d take my own bag to the door. Knight wanted me to stay for the weekend, and since things with classes were going so well, I hadn’t had a problem with that.
I wheeled my bag up to the door and started to knock before it was pulled open, a woman in a white coat and an elegant grin behind it.
“Greer, welcome. Knight and his mom are upstairs. I’ll take you to both of them.”
Recognizing the woman as Dr. Chopra, one of the doctors caring for Knight’s mom, I thanked her and followed. From what I understood, she’d be overseeing his mom for around-the-clock care now that she was home and had been very nice in the times I’d seen her. It’d been a lot. I’d been a frequent visitor during his mom’s rehabilitation process and at Knight’s side whenever I could be.
I kept pace with the doctor, my bag taken by one of the maids of the house. I recognized her too, an older woman who still worked here after my mom and I had left. She said she’d leave it in my room and would show it to me after my visit with the master of the house.
The master of the house turned out to be upstairs, inside a room facing the sun. Light literally bled upon my shoes once Dr. Chopra opened the door, and the first thing I noticed after the sun was Knight and his mom. It was basically drowning them in it, Knight sitting in an easy chair with his hands folded. He was leaning forward, staring at a woman in bed hooked up to many lines.
“Go ahead,” Dr. Chopra whispered, closing the door behind me when I went inside. I honestly didn’t want to disrupt the peace of this room, but the moment the door closed, dark eyes shifted my way, a gorgeous guy rising from his chair.
“Dove,” fell from Knight’s lips as he crossed the room to me, hard and perfect muscle gripping me into an embrace. He basically picked me up off my feet, my weight nothing for him. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
He kissed me after that, hands in my hair and everything as he pushed it out of my face.
“Your drive okay?” he asked, easing a heavy arm around me, and I nodded, so happy to see him too. The moments I wasn’t with him, I found it hard to breathe, how much really had changed. I think I found myself falling in love with this boy, so hard and damn fast.
I smiled. “I did. How’s she doing?”
Panning, I studied the woman so gorgeous beneath silk sheets. She was hooked up to a lot of monitors, but nothing like when she’d been at the hospital. She actually looked at peace here, her long, dark hair resting on her shoulders.
A smile and Knight tugged me over to her with him. We sat down together by her bedside, his hand still in mine, but I couldn’t help noticing the worry that twisted his brow. This was a recurring expression during this whole process as well.
“She’s sleeping now. Just sleeping.” Leaning forward again, he rubbed my hand between his. “I know it’s dumb, but I can’t stop looking at her. I think a part of me is scared she won’t wake up again.”
He said this shyly like he was ashamed when he shouldn’t be. I mean, the woman had been in a coma for more than half his life. “That’s not dumb. It’s normal. I’d be worried too, but I don’t think you have to be. You have the best doctors now.”
“I know, but still.” His fingers lazily warmed mine again. “I’m just scared, dove. And not just about that.”
“About what then?”
His tongue dampened his lips before he faced me. “Say she does come back.”
“She will.”
He smiled. “Say she does and I’m not who she wants me to be. That I’m… I don’t know. A letdown or something.” He shook his head before looking at her. “I’d hate that. I’ve done so many stupid things.”
He had, but that was what made us human. I touched his jaw, and with it, I got his eyes. “You’re her son, and though I’m not a parent, something tells me there’s little you could do where she’d want nothing to do with you. Where you’d disappoint her? Knight, she loves you…”
“Knight?”
The voice had been faint when I heard it, soft, but the moment I did, chills lined my skin. They’d been good chills, ones that had me gripping Knight’s hand. I didn’t even have to ask if he’d heard his name as well.
Immediately, his eyes darted over to his mom, fastening on her gaze. She stared right at us, at him, and her fingers lifted from the sheets. “Knight…”
He rose, instantly taking her hand, and immediately, I got up, calling for Dr. Chopra. His mom didn’t do this, call for him or anyone. Her speech was usually pretty mumbled, like she was out of it most of the time, but she definitely wasn’t now. She called specifically for Knight, wanting his hand.
“Mom.” He warmed hers between his, focusing on nothing but her, and my eyes watered, his too as he smiled at her. “Yeah, Mom. It’s me. Knight. Your son.”
“Knight,” she whispered again, and he touched her cheek. Her lips lifted, a soft smile forming them. “So big.”
Laughter, emotion-lined as he nodded at her. “I am, but it’s me. I swear it is.”
He kissed her hand, closing his eyes, and I couldn’t breathe, watching the two of them together. It took me a while to realize Dr. Chopra and her team had arrived but, like me, stayed frozen in place. At the door, they watched on, studying the
