She got up early, rising with the sun after a fitful night of sleep. Tori’s evening with Cole had been wonderful. More than she could have asked for, but they still hadn’t talked about her visions. The reminder that he knew so little about her and her past rested heavy in her stomach.
Today.
She’d talk to him later today, when Morgan played outside and they had the chance to focus.
She brought a small bucket to the garden in the back, found her gardening tools, and started to weed the shaded section. Morning glories bloomed lavender and periwinkle, climbing the side of her fence and making her smile.
They’d had morning glories in her backyard when her mom was around. Just a small section in the corner of their tiny yard. Sometimes she’d sit out by those flowers while her mom slept in late, and pray she’d never have the visions like her mom. Or that she’d handle them better.
Tori scooted down the row, pulling weeds and admiring the blooms, lost in her thoughts. By the time the shade vanished and the sun grew hot, she’d finished the entire area. Laughter sounded from behind the fence.
“Hi, Tori!”
Morgan’s cheerful voice made her smile. She stood, mini shovel in hand, and brushed a stray hair off her cheek. “Good morning, Morgan.”
“Can I come over?”
“Did you ask your dad?”
“Hold on! Don’t do anything without me!”
Tori laughed, collecting her tools and returning them to the bin on the back porch. When she heard the gate, Cole was with Morgan as well. He walked through, smiling when Morgan dashed to her.
“Got an early start, I see.”
Cole leaned past Morgan to kiss Tori. She arched into it, using his warmth and strength to build her own. To pull out that courage she knew she’d need to tell him the truth.
“How’d you sleep?” he asked.
“Okay.”
“Dream about me?”
Her smile wobbled. She wished.
“You have some dirt,” Cole said, brushing her cheek. Morgan wedged between them, trying to fit in the space between their legs. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. You sleep well?”
He pointed down to Morgan and mouthed, Bad dreams.
“I’m sorry.” She touched Morgan’s head. “You want to see all my weeds?”
“Yes.”
Cole’s phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, frowned at the screen, then answered. He listened for a moment, frown deepening, and pointed to the gate, indicating he needed some privacy. She watched as he walked away, tension in his shoulders, steel in his voice.
“Tori?”
She snapped to attention, smiling down at Morgan. “The weeds. Right.”
They walked to the bucket and she knelt down, tipping it for Morgan.
“That’s a lot of weeds,” Morgan said, making a face.
Tori laughed. “That’s my second bucket.”
“You got up early!”
“I did.” She opened her mouth, ready to ask Morgan about her dreams, then shut it again. No, it didn’t feel like the time or the place. But she worried for the girl. That maybe she needed more to get over her past. Counseling, maybe.
She started to stand, bucket in hand, and the world went hazy around her. “No, no, no.”
Morgan looked up at her. “What? Tori?”
The bucket slipped from her hand, weeds dumping on the emerald lawn. “Hold on,” she whispered to Morgan as the girl vanished from her view.
“Tori! Are you sick?”
But Tori couldn’t say anything more. All she could do was wait for the vision to pass. It was Morgan again, but this time she was the same age as now, running through the hallway of her house. Terror raced across her features when she heard a voice. Morgan, it’s Mommy. Where are you?
Tori choked on that fear, hunched in a ball on the lawn when she came to. Morgan leaned over her, a similar kind of fear in her eyes.
“Tori?”
She gasped, sat up even as the world spun. “Your mom.”
Morgan straightened, her face going pale.
“You haven’t seen her, have you?” Tori managed, reaching for Morgan to get her to understand her urgency.
Morgan’s lip wobbled and she turned. “Daddy!”
“Shit, no.” Tori braced her hand on the grass, trying to focus. Then, because the world wouldn’t stop spinning, she rested her forehead on her knees to help the dizziness pass. Behind her she could hear Morgan crying, and she cursed again for saying anything. It was the vision. It had hit her so hard, so fast. It had terrified her, made her scared for Morgan. That something else might have happened or was going to happen soon.
Cole came through the gate, carrying Morgan as tears slid down her cheeks. “What—?”
She held up her hand even as he rushed over, setting Morgan next to him.
“It’s fine. Everything’s…fine.” But it wasn’t. It was so far from fine, she didn’t know what else to do but to blurt it all out right there.
Morgan clung to Cole’s neck. He tried to dislodge her, but she wouldn’t let go. “Morgan honey, let go a minute.”
“No! She said Mommy.”
His gaze whipped to hers, a frown crossing his features. “What?”
“It’s not…I didn’t mean to say something,” Tori told him. “I was scared.”
“Mommy’s not coming back, is she?” Morgan squeezed his neck, tears still falling. Tori’s gut twisted.
“No, she’s not. It’s fine.”
Tori moved to stand. When Cole reached for her, she shook her head, feeling sick. “I’m sorry.”
“Morgan—” Cole sighed and stood. “Honey, how about that bubble gum you like? You can get some, and get Cooper, and sit out here in the sunshine for a bit, okay?”
She looked up at him, eyes still swimming, but finally she nodded and turned for the gate.
When Cole met Tori’s gaze, she could barely hold his stare.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Did you ask her about her mom?”
“Yes.”
He propped his hands on his hips, throat moving in a swallow. “That’s not—we don’t talk about Deirdre. Morgan’s terrified of her.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you say anything? Especially after last night and the nightmares.”
Tori walked to the patio, away from the sun that was making her head throb. When Cole followed her, still waiting for an answer, she blew out a breath.
“I had a vision,” she said.
“Excuse me?”
“A vision. I saw…I saw Morgan. Scared. She was running away from her mom.”
His jaw clenched. “Tori—”
“I’m telling the truth. I was worried for her. Otherwise I wouldn’t have said anything.”
“And you told Morgan? That her mom was coming here?”
“No, I…no, but I’m worried.”
They heard the back door shut in his yard, and Cole lowered his voice. “I don’t…people don’t have visions. You said you got feelings. Bad feelings or whatever. I get that. It happens. But visions?”
She nodded, hating the disbelief she saw on his face. “Just like my mom. And my grandma.”
“That stuff’s not real.”
“It is. I know it’s hard to believe, but—”
She broke off when Morgan appeared again, mouth full of bubblegum, arms full of Cooper, and tears still streaking her face. Her heart broke.
“She doesn’t need this in her life. Not after everything else she’s gone through,” Cole said quietly.
Morgan walked to him, wrapping her free arm around his legs and burying her face in his jeans.
“I’m not trying to hurt her,” Tori whispered.
Cole swallowed. “I know that. But this…it’s too much. Visions?” He lowered his voice even further, though Morgan could still hear every word. “It’s not real, Tori. And Morgan doesn’t need to be around it.”
Tori opened her mouth, torn. What was she supposed to say with Morgan standing right there? How could she convince him without scaring Morgan even more?
“I’m sorry,” she said again.
Cole’s eyes clouded over. He lifted Morgan into his arms. “We need to go.”
She ducked her chin, resigned. She’d expected this. Knew it wouldn’t be easy. “I understand. I won’t bother you with this anymore.”
He held Morgan close, and she lay her head on his shoulder as he walked away, through the gate, and back home.
#
Cole hadn’t planned on working today, but he needed something to keep his mind off of Tori. Off of what had happened this morning.
What the hell was she thinking talking to Morgan about Deirdre? Every time he took a step forward with Morgan, it seemed like she fell two steps back. Even the mention of her mom brought her to tears. Couldn’t Tori see that wasn’t what she needed?
What Morgan needed was a clean start. To never, ever have to hear about her mom again. To get enough space that she could heal.
He’d given in and let Morgan watch her favorite movie in the living room. After setting her up with snacks and pillows, he waited until she seemed calm enough, and then retreated to his study.
But so far, he hadn’t gotten much work done. He swayed between anger and confusion. Part of him wanted to go back over to Tori’s and talk, to understand where she was coming from. But the other part wanted to stay far away until he could calm down. How in the world did a reasonable, grown woman, think she could see the future? That wasn’t Tori. That was…the rest of the town. Morgan didn’t need uncertainties or extra worries, she needed happiness and stability.
Something she hadn’t gotten enough of in her life. She’d already gone through more than any child should. Seeing her mom on drugs, seeing the police come to haul her away when she’d burst into their apartment and scared them both. It was already too much.
Cole lifted his phone, frowning at it. Deirdre had called just this morning, still butting into their lives even though she wasn’t wanted. Even though she had nothing to do with them anymore. She’d given up custody of Morgan, so why did she keep calling him now? Why wouldn’t she leave them alone?
When the phone rang, he tensed in his seat until he saw who it was. His mom.
Their relationship had been strained when he was with Deirdre. She hadn’t liked the woman or agreed with her lifestyle at all, even though Cole had stayed with her. But now…looking back on it, he could see where she’d been coming from. He could feel that flicker of guilt about not keeping her in his life more, or in Morgan’s.
He answered after a few more rings. “Hey, Mom.”
“Oh, Cole. Good. I’m glad I caught you.”
“Just getting some work done.”
“On the weekend? You work too hard.”
He leaned back in his chair, relaxing some. “Why did it sound like you were smiling when you said that?”
“Because I don’t think I’ve ever said that to you before. I’m proud of you.”
He didn’t have an answer for that. Proud of him? She’d also never said that to him before. At least, not since he was a kid.
“I know it was hard for you to leave. To pack it all up and start over, but I feel like it was the right thing,” his mom said. “For both of you.”
“You should come visit.”
The words were out of his mouth before he even realized what he’d said. But why not? She could see his place, she could start a healthier relationship with Morgan. Morgan needed family in her life. Family she could trust. And maybe he did, too.
“We’d love that, honey. Dad’s doing well after his surgery—that’s why I called. Just wanted to give you an update.”
He rubbed his hand over his eyes as she went on. His dad’s surgery. Just knee surgery, but he’d forgotten. Something he’d have to work on.
They chatted a little longer, made plans to talk again in the next few weeks, and said goodbye. He wandered back to the living room and found Morgan piled under three blankets. A few pieces of popcorn sat on the carpet.
“Doing okay?” he asked.
She unburied herself to hop in his lap when he sat on the couch. “The movie’s over.”
He nodded, wrapping his arm around her. “I know. What do we do now? Do you still want to go to practice tonight?”
“Yes. I want to see Mandy. Miss Amy said she could do a cartwheel.”
He grinned. Resilient. Kids were definitely resilient. And he saw no trace of Morgan’s earlier sadness, which relieved him. A misunderstanding, that’s all. He’d clear things up with Tori eventually. They’d take some space, and then he’d talk to her again. He’d get to the bottom of this.
He hoped.
“Can we have pizza for dinner?” Morgan asked.
He considered this, realizing he felt like cooking just as much as he felt like dealing with Deirdre. “Sure. Before you go to Miss Amy’s.”
“Can Tori come with us?”
He tensed. An image of her lying on the ground in her backyard flashed in his mind. She said she’d had a vision. Is that what had happened that day out by the creek too? A vision? Because Cass had said it was her blood pressure.
And Tori hadn’t made any effort to correct her. His teeth clenched. All right. Maybe he’d need a little more time. He could handle most things, but not lying.
Not what Deirdre had done for their entire relationship.
“Not this time,” he said, rubbing her back, already knowing she wasn’t going to like it. “How about a Morgan and Daddy night? Just us? That way we can share a sundae.”
Her eyes lit. “Yes! Ice cream.”
He was bribing her, and he knew it. But there were times when that was the best solution, in his mind. To distract her. To distract him.
As long as they didn’t run into Tori there, they’d be okay.
“Good,” Cole said, putting that thought out of his mind. “Pizza and ice cream it is.”
Morgan jumped from his lap and ran to get Cooper. She danced around the living room, singing about pizza and sundaes and whipped cream, making him smile. He wished he could distract himself as easily.
All he really wanted right now was to head back to Tori’s and kiss her and hold her, and make sense of the whole morning.
Bad idea.
He’d done the same thing with Deirdre. She’d say sorry and he’d forgive her and he’d let it go. But that wasn’t him anymore.
And for Morgan’s sake, he couldn’t be so forgiving.