The Man Who Has No Sight by Victoria Quinn

Author:Victoria Quinn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Victoria Quinn

Her condo was packed up, her furniture sold, and now the place was bare.

I thought it was best to leave Cleo behind for this, so Derek and I went to the condo alone. Thankfully, Jake wasn’t there either.

I’d probably rip out his throat.

She kneeled and talked to Derek. “I’ll call all the time, just the way you and Dad used to do.”

“Okay,” he said. “How far away is London?”

“It’s across the Atlantic Ocean, so about a seven-hour flight.”

“That’s as far away as California.”

She nodded. “True. I’m sure your dad will bring you to visit sometimes.”

Nope.

Derek wasn’t as verbal as he usually was. Not being around Valerie for a few weeks seemed to make him awkward, like he didn’t know how to interact with her.

“I’m gonna miss you, honey.” She pulled him in for a tight hug and held him for a long time.

Derek just stood there, like he didn’t care.

When she pulled away, she gave him an encouraging smile. “You and your father are going to have such a good time together.”

“I know,” Derek said. “I’m happy I get to stay with him.”

Ouch. Fuck, that must have hurt.

Valerie stilled slightly, her gaze dropping like she didn’t know what to say. “Well…that’s good, then.” She rose to her feet then patted him on the head. Then she turned to me, a subtle hint of disdain moving into her features.

I didn’t want to end on bad terms, so I’d stopped being angry with her for leaving. I believed in science and entropy, randomness, but sometimes I wondered if things happened for a reason, if things worked out the way they were supposed to. Maybe this entire thing benefited everyone. “Take care, Valerie.” I eyed her bags on the floor. “Need help with those?”

“No. Jake will get them.”

This could be one of the last times I ever saw her. If things worked out in London, our conversations would grow less frequent. I wouldn’t see her in the flesh. And those phone conversations would probably die away too. I didn’t feel sad about it. It felt bittersweet, honestly. “If you ever need help or anything…you can call.” She wasn’t my problem anymore, but I would always try to help her out since she was Derek’s mother.

“Well, I should get going.” She turned to Derek again. “I love you, honey.”

“Love you too, Mom,” Derek said automatically.

I patted him on the head then guided him out of the condo. We moved into the hallway and stepped onto the elevator. When the doors were closed and we descended to my floor, I looked at him. “You okay, little man?”

“I’m fine, Dad.”

“You seem sad.”

“No. I want everyone to be happy. If Mom is happier there than she is here, that’s where she should be.”

“She’s not happier away from you, Derek.”

He shrugged. “Can we go get some ice cream?”

I wanted to shut him down, but then I realized doing something fun was appropriate in a situation like this. I pressed the button to the lobby when the doors opened to my floor.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.