Dead Certain - Mariah Stewart [59]
“Greer, I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.” She shook her head. “He was a challenge in every way, that boy of ours was, because he faced so many challenges developmentally, physically. But God, how I—we—loved him. He brought us such joy. It was hard sometimes, but he brought us the greatest joy. . . .”
“I’m so sorry,” Amanda apologized for what seemed like the fifth time that afternoon.
“Thank you. So are we.” Greer fussed with her plate. “He just picked up one infection after another. Colds so often turned into pneumonia. That last infection, well, we caught it early, but it was just determined to do him in. It all went so fast. . . .”
Amanda reached out her hand and Greer took it.
“I haven’t really known what to do with myself since he died. Kevin had needed so much care, and I was so happy to be with him, in spite of the fact that it was pretty much continuous. I was lucky that Steven’s job was such that I didn’t have to work, so that I could be with Kevin every day. We always knew he was just here on loan to us, that we wouldn’t be keeping him.” She brushed away a tear. “Well, we just figured we’d have had him a little longer than we did. It’s been hard to . . . adjust . . . to it just being the two of us. In a way, I think it’s easier on Steve, because he travels with his job, and that keeps him busy.”
“Have you thought about looking for a job?”
“I don’t feel ready to commit to something all day, every day. But I’ve been doing some volunteer work at the local hospital, and some over at the library. That’s where I started reading up on ways to use the Internet to look for lost people—you know, people from your past?” She smiled. “That’s how I found Sean. I searched the Internet. Of course, he was easy to find. Well, I keep telling myself how lucky I am. I lost my son, but I did find my brother. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me to see Sean again. And here’s the icing on the cake. I just recently found—”
“Hey, girls.” A tall, thin, balding man with an easy smile poked his head into the room.
“Steve, honey, this is our guest for a few days. She’s a friend of Sean’s. Sort of . . .” Greer made the introductions and gave Steve a quick rundown on Amanda’s situation.
“I’m grateful to you for staying here with Greer while I’m away,” Steve said as he shook Amanda’s hand. “I always hate to leave her alone.”
“I’ve always been fine.” Greer wagged the fingers of one hand at him. “But I think it will be fun to have Amanda here. Now, honey, are you all packed?”
“I think so. I just stopped home to pick up my suitcase. I was hoping to take along my blue shirt, though. I can’t seem to find it.”
“I know just where it is.” Greer put her plate down and excused herself to Amanda.
“Oh, no, please. Do whatever it is you need to do. I hate feeling that I’m holding you up.”
Greer and Steve left the room in a flurry, and Amanda continued to nibble at her lunch. She flipped through the photo album again, one picture to the next. Kevin with Greer, Kevin with Steve. The three of them together in the backyard. At a lake. In front of a large building that could have been a museum, Kevin in a wheelchair, wearing a New York Giants cap and a crooked smile, Greer and Steve standing proudly on either side. So sad that they’d lost the son they’d both clearly loved so much.
“I lost a son, but I did find my brother. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me to see Sean again. And here’s the icing on the cake. I just recently found—“ Greer had been saying when Steve had entered the room.
Amanda couldn’t help but wonder who else Greer had found. Whoever it was, she hoped it was someone who would bring a little of the lost joy back into Greer’s heart. And maybe, just maybe, a little of that might rub off on Sean.
Later, when Sean showed up after ten—and several hours after Amanda, citing exhaustion, had excused herself and gone off to bed—Greer tried pumping Sean for information. As far as she was concerned, if he was involved with Amanda—or wanted to be—she wanted to know about