Page 143 of Fierce-Colson

He turned to his sister. She looked at him. “I don’t know yet.”

“Then that is the answer you’ve got for now, Holly.”

They finished their lunch, he grabbed the bill, paid, then they left.

Holly had Bella’s number and he hoped that his sister let him know if they were communicating.

He had Holly’s number also so he could try to keep a better eye on things.

“I’m glad it’s over,” Bella said.

“You did well. I’m proud of you. Proud of how you handled yourself.” He dropped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer. “Proud of the questions you ask. Did you ever think of a career in law?”

Bella laid her head against his chest. And that simple move told him that everything was going to be alright.

Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow.

But in the long run, yeah, they’d get there.

“Maybe I will,” Bella said. “Marly told me to be firm, but it was okay to show my emotions. I guess I wasn’t sad. I thought I might have been. I wasn’t even nearly as mad as I thought I’d be either. Not when I saw her.”

“Why do you think that is?”

Bella looked up and they parted so she could get in the car. She wasn’t talking, then finally said, “This is horrible.”

“Not if it’s the truth.”

“I’m kind of embarrassed for her. Of her even being my mother. She’s a little dirty.”

“She is. She doesn’t take good care of herself. A lot of times that happens when people are addicts.”

“But she said she is clean. Do you think she isn’t?”

Bella was looking at him, deep into his eyes. “I really don’t know. I want to say no, but I’m not positive.”

“I don’t know what someone looks like when they aren’t. I remember Dad drunk, but my mother didn’t act like that.”

“I hate that you even have to remember that.”

Because he did too.

Those times, those memories. They’d be burned into his brain.

No amount of time or chemicals could scrub them clean.

She shrugged. “I really don’t know what I’m going to do with my mother.”

“And like I told you before, you don’t need to know right now.”

“Thanks for that, Colson. And for today.”

“Don’t thank me,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do.”

“And you always do what is right. I learned that from you. Even if it’s hard or you don’t want to, you need to force your way through.”

He laughed. “It’s a good lesson but maybe not one I wish you learned so early.”

“It’s okay,” Bella said more cheerfully than he expected. “Can I spend the night at Tiff’s? She knew what was going on today and I just want to be with my friend. But I can be with you too if you need it. I just thought, maybe you want to be with Marly.”