I walked into my kitchen, rubbing the back of my neck, grimacing at all the knots that had developed since coming back to this town. Since my return, everyone had tried to belittle me, and make me quit. So I’d had to work twice as hard as my coworkers to prove myself…including my partner.

Part of that was because I was a woman, but most of it was because I was who I was—the girl who had left, and then came back to town with my tail between my legs. If it had been up to me, I never would have set foot back here again, but it hadn’t been up to me, had it? Plastering a smile on my face, I called out, “Grace?”

Grace came out, wearing blue scrubs today, and a weary look on her face. “Hey. You’re back.”

“Yes, sorry I’m late, I had to work on a case.” I set my purse on the table next to the millions of prescription bottles. “How is she today?”

“Not too great,” Grace said slowly. We’d been friends, once upon a time, so when it came time to find a full-time nurse for my mom, it only made sense to go to a familiar face. It had to be someone I could trust, and privacy was a number one priority for me. No one needed to know about my mom’s health issues. I didn’t need even more people doubting my commitment to the job, and my abilities to focus when on the case. They’d use anything to get rid of me.

Of that I had no doubt.

Especially my partner.

“Was she upset?” I asked.

“For a little while. After the sun went down, like usual.” She sat down, letting out a long sigh. “With dementia, that’s normal. They call it Sundowners Syndrome. Her disease is progressing, and unfortunately it’ll probably be downhill from here, especially in the evenings.” She paused. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you. This isn’t going to be easy.”

I swallowed hard. “It never is, is it?”

Grace shook her head. “I’m willing to be here full time, you know that, but ultimately, you might end up having to place her in a home. Sometimes that’s the safest option for dementia patients who require around the clock care.”

“No.” I rubbed my temples, my heart wrenching at the idea of putting my mother in a facility. “I can do this. I can take care of her.”

Grace nodded, reaching down to her bag and pulling out a stack of papers and catalogs. “Okay. Here’s the stuff I was telling you about. Also, I included some catalogs. It’s a good idea to change the lock system so she can’t get out in the middle of the night while you’re sleeping.”

I swallowed past my aching throat. This was too much. The idea of my mother slipping outside unattended while I slept… God, could I do this? Could I oversee my mom’s safety? Could I…? Yes, I could. I had no choice. This was my mother. One way or another, I’d do what I had to do.

“Th-Thank you,” I managed to say.

Grace eyed me sympathetically, reaching out and squeezing my hand. “I’m here for you, anything you need, I’m here. Did you tell Ben about your mom?”

“No, absolutely not.” I pulled free. “No one can know what I’m dealing with. Knowing them, they’d somehow use it against me, and try to say I’m unfit for the job. Captain didn’t even want to let me in, and my old boss had to pull some major favors for me. They’d jump at any opportunity to get rid of me, so I’m not giving them one. What happens in my house is my business, and only mine.”

Grace shook her head. “I don’t think Ben would do that. He’s a good guy.”

Yeah, so good he’d cheated on me, and then acted like I’d been the bad guy for running away because it hurt too much. “Yeah. He’s great.” I swallowed, studying Grace’s flushed cheeks. “Did you two… Are you two…?”

“No.” Grace shook her head. “We had a thing, one night, years ago, but he’s always been nothing but kind to me. I think he’d surprise you, despite your past.”

I shrugged, not liking the idea of Ben’s hands on my former best friend. We might have ended things years ago, but it still hurt. Out of all the girls in Somerton, he’d had to go after Grace? “Maybe, maybe not. I won’t be finding out.”

I didn’t trust Ben, not one little bit.

Grace stood, smiling and tucking her hair behind her ears. “Well, I guess I’ll be going home now. Seven in the morning again?”

“Yes, please.” I stood too. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

Grace left, closing the door behind her. I took a second to cover my face, take a shuddering breath, and feel sorry for myself—and my mom.

But that was all I gave myself. One second.

Then I put my big girl panties on, as my mother used to always say, and made my way into the back of the house, to my mom’s room. “Good evening.”

As I entered, I braced myself for the moment when my mother looked at me…and had no clue who I was. My mom, whose brown eyes had once held warmth and pride whenever they looked at me, were flat and lifeless as they studied me now. There was no warmth. No pride. Just confusion. “Are you the night nurse tonight?”

“Yes. I’m the night nurse. Are you hungry?”

She hesitated. “A little.”

“What would you like?”

Mom frowned. “Pudding. I’d like chocolate pudding, with rainbow sprinkles. Don’t be cheap with the sprinkles, they’re my favorite part.”

“I know,” I managed to say, keeping the smile on my face despite the looming tears. “I’ll give you extra extra sprinkles. I promise.”

“And check on my baby. I heard her crying earlier.”

Swallowing past the pain, I nodded, going along with my mother’s words even though it hurt more than I could ever possibly describe. In my mom’s world, I was still a baby, and she was still a young single mother fighting to make ends meet. I’d never known just how much she struggled until she’d forgotten who I was, and talked to me as a colleague, instead of her child. A tear escaped down my cheek, but I angrily swiped it away. “I’ll check on Sarah, don’t worry.”

Mom relaxed against the pillow. “Good. That child… Honestly, she never stops crying. The girl’s going to have to toughen up.”

“I’ve got her,” I promised, biting down on my lip so hard it hurt. “I’ll tell her.”

As I walked out, I swiped the tears off my cheeks and straightened my spine, mentally telling myself to knock it off, and pull it together. I missed my mom. Missed having her arms around me, hugging me, and telling me everything would be all right, because God, I needed someone to tell me everything was going to be okay right about now.