Chapter 13

Cass's legbounced as she pushed the food around on her plate. As much as she loved Ellie's cooking, her stomach was rolling too much to eat anything. Worry plagued her every thought, replacing the positivity she forced herself to have earlier.

"Cass?"

Cass felt a soft hand on her shoulder and looked up. "Huh? Sorry, El, I was just…"

"Worrying?" Cass nodded, and Ellie gave her an empathetic smile. "So are we. But you need to eat something."

"I just don't know if I can keep it down. My stomach is all in knots."

Ellie glanced at the uneaten sandwich — a turkey club, one of Cass's favorites — and decided to wrap it up for later. What Cass needed now was something lighter. Jessie got this way whenever she was particularly nervous or upset about something. The thing that always helped was soup. She picked up the plate and stopped when Cass's hand caught her arm.

"I promised Hunt I would eat. It's the least I could do for what she did for me."

"You will. But I think this is a little too much for you right now. Sit tight. I'll be right back."

Cass was sitting by herself despite the rest of the group being there. She chose that, and the others gave her the space she needed. She swiveled on the bar stool, unable to keep still.

"Friends help ease the pain, girl. Keep ‘em close."

Cass blinked at the man. She'd seen him here many times but had never spoken to him. If she remembered correctly, Ellie had called him Big Al. "Sorry?"

"You're worried about your woman. This group… best around. Let ‘em help."

Cass didn't know what Big Al knew, but the advice was sound. She could sit here and sulk alone or surround herself with love. She knew what Rebecca would want for her. "Thanks, um, Big Al."

Cass received a curt nod from the man, who then turned back to his… whatever the fuck he was drinking. Cass hopped off the stool and took a moment to breathe before making her way over to the group.

"Is there room for me?"

Blaise scooted over in the large round booth and patted the vinyl with a manicured hand. "Always room for you, mate."

Cass slid into the booth and sighed heavily. "This is freakin' torture." She winced inwardly because of who she was with. Cass was essentially ‘preaching to the choir.' "How did you all not fall apart in the first five minutes with everything you've been through."

Eve reached for Lainey's hand. "Love. If you'd asked me no more than five years ago, I would have had a different answer, but that is the real answer."

"And not just the love of a partner," Lainey added. "I never knew how important it was to have friends who would stand with you, hold you up when you can't hold yourself up, and who will fight for you when your fight has left you."

"We all know this firsthand," Blaise provided. "When I was abducted, Ellie hired Grayson to find me. Despite the circumstances, she knew something was wrong."

"You already know what Lainey has done for me," Eve said.

"And Eve has pretty much helped everyone," Lainey smiled. "Rebecca has been a strong force behind all of us. She's a cheerleader, a confidant, and a powerhouse in every aspect."

"And you," Ellie continued as she came up and placed a bowl of soup in front of Cass. "You've done wonders for Rebecca. You've made her happy and…"

"And given her jelly legs for the past three or so years," Blaise teased with a sly grin.

Cass snorted with laughter. "I assure you, Rebecca gives as good… no, better than she gets. The woman is sixteen years older than I am, and she runs circles around me." Cass took a spoonful of soup, slurping it carefully. The hot liquid warmed her from the inside out. And it was freakin' delicious. "This soup is awesome, Ellie."

"Thank you. It's Jessie's favorite." Ellie pushed Cass closer to Blaise so she could sit on the edge of the booth. "I'm glad you decided to join us over here."

Cass nodded toward Big Al. "He told me it was where I needed to be."

"Big Al?!" Ellie and Blaise exclaimed at the same time.

"The Old Man is warming up to us," Blaise laughed. "Who can blame him? We are charming."

"She's going to be fine, right?" Cass asked suddenly, her spoon halfway to her mouth.

"Yes, sweets," Ellie answered. "This is Rebecca we're talking about. She is a fighter."

"That's just it." Cass pushed the remainder of her soup away and grabbed a cracker just to have something in her hands. "Right before all this happened, she told me she was tired. Rebecca has been fighting her entire life, El. This was supposed to be her time to relax. To enjoy life. Why did this have to happen? She's been through enough. It should've been me. Why couldn't it have been me?"

"I think we've all felt that way, Cass." Eve reached over and covered Cass's hand in a rare show of affection to anyone other than Lainey. "And every one of us would take Rebecca's place if we could. Unfortunately, the best we can do is be here for anything either of you needs."

Cass was temporarily taken aback by being touched by Eve Sumptor. That feeling quickly subsided as Eve's words sank in. These women loved Rebecca almost as much as Cass did.

"Thank you. All of you. I've been researching how to care for Rebecca when she comes home. I'm not great at any of the things she's going to require, but no one could love her more than me. I may need a little help in all the other areas, though."

"I have the food covered," Ellie smiled.

"I can have fresh flowers for Rebecca's enjoyment," Blaise announced. "I'm working on a new line of arrangements that focus on serenity and peace."

"They're quite amazing," Ellie offered enthusiastically.

"Well, food and decor have been taken care of. Eve and I can provide specialists, physical therapists, or anything else you or Rebecca may need," Lainey promised.

"I imagine Hunter, Mo, and Patty will provide any medical services," Eve said in her no-nonsense boardroom voice. "Willamena would certainly be available to talk with you, I'm sure."

Cass frowned. "Where is Aunt Wills? I thought she'd be with you."

"She said she had a couple of things to take care of before returning to the hospital," Ellie answered. "She said she wouldn't be long."

"Oh. Okay." Cass checked her watch, then looked at Ellie. "Do you think I can go back to Rebecca now?"

Ellie patted Cass's thigh in a motherly manner. "Yeah, I think you can go. If Hunter has a problem with that, tell her to come talk to me."

Cass grinned. "She's scared of you, so I'll be good." She shimmied out of the booth when Ellie stood. She kissed Ellie on the cheek. "Thank you."

Willamena

"Hello, Gwennie." Willamena sat on the ground and dusted debris off her sister's headstone. "I'm sorry I haven't been to visit lately." She sighed. "This is going to sound odd for a psychiatrist to say, but not seeing your name with dates underneath helps me pretend you're still alive."

Willamena nearly laughed at the ridiculousness of that. Obviously, she knew her sister was dead. In fact, the thirty-fifth anniversary of the deaths of Gwendolyn and Declan Cuinn was fast approaching. That also meant an anniversary of a different sort for Rebecca.

"I guess you know what's happening with our girl. Gwennie, I need you to make sure Becca is okay. As selfish as this sounds, I can't lose another… anyone else. And poor Cass." Willamena smiled involuntarily despite the solemness of the conversation. "You should see them together, sis. They would put you and Deck to shame." She glanced over at her brother-in-law's headstone. "No offense, Deck."

Willamena leaned back on her hands, toying with the green grass under her fingertips. "You would be so proud of Rebecca, Gwennie. Perhaps a little scared and more than a little unprepared for who she's become. Imagine our little Becca inducing fear…" Willamena's voice trailed off. "Maybe that wouldn't surprise you one bit. She's always been strong-willed. Until… Samantha." She inhaled, blowing the air out slowly. "I know you saved her that night. She should have died. The injuries Rebecca sustained that night could have easily killed her. But she lived. She thrived. Gwennie, she's so happy now. So I'm going to ask that you help her again. The brain tumor is out, but I'm concerned about why they're sedating her. She needs to be okay. I need her to be okay." She repeated. "We all do. I'm afraid Cass won't survive without Rebecca. Hell, I'm afraid I won't. Please, Gwennie."

Willamena closed her eyes, letting the gentle breeze caress her face. She imagined it was her sister answering her pleas. A tear rolled down her cheek, and a small smile played at her mouth. Thank you for listening, Gwennie.Willamena gave herself a few more minutes with her sister, then rose, brushed herself off, and set off to the hospital to face head-on what they were up against. Whatever it was, she would be there for Rebecca this time.