Sixteen
Hudson kept sneaking glances at Viviana’s face as he drove. She looked serene but sad in the passenger’s seat. Her crystal blue eyes were thoughtful as they took in the road in front of them. He wished he could ask her what she was thinking about, but he didn’t want to disturb her.
Finally, she pointed to the car stereo. “May I?”
“Sure.”
He grinned when the crashing drums and electric guitars blared, and she visibly sat back in her seat. Recovering herself, she quickly turned the music off again.
“Never mind,” she said.
“What, you’re not a fan of classic rock?”
“Is that what that is? I thought an eighties band was getting melted in your transmission.”
“Ha.” Hudson pulled into the long driveway leading into Heritage Pines. “Have you ever been here?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, I haven’t. Is it nice?”
“Nicest one I could find,” he said. “Well, I guess that’s not entirely true. There’s another place up near Missoula, but it’s more for wealthy celebrities with drug addictions. A recovery place. I’d call it a recovery paradise, but that’s just me. We couldn’t afford that one.”
“We?”
“The Evergreen Pack and me. They’re chipping in so we can pay for all this.”
Viviana nodded. “That’s kind of them.”
“Any pack or pride would do that, though, wouldn’t they?” he said.
“No. Not all of them. Each has their own way of running things. There are a lot that are similar, but some places still have strange laws.”
Hudson parked and turned off the engine. “I guess that makes sense. But the main reason we chose this place wasn’t the price—it’s the fact that there’s a doctor here who knows the shifter world. If my mom accidentally reveals something, Dr. Powers will be able to take care of it.”
He wanted to take her hand as they walked up to the building, but he held himself back.
“Why is your mother here?” Viviana asked.
“Depression. My stepdad died a few months ago, and Mom’s been getting worse and worse.”
The automatic doors opened and Hudson and Viviana went inside. A young man in a dress shirt sat behind the reception counter. “How may I help you?” he asked.
“We’re here to visit Ellie Hudson,” Hudson said.
“Visiting hours were this morning and won’t start again until three—oh,” the man said, looking at his computer. “There’s a note from Dr. Powers. Yes, apparently you can see her now.”
“Thanks,” Hudson said.
“Go down this hallway right here, and the second left is the visitor’s room. If she’s not there already, someone will bring her shortly.”
“Thanks,” Viviana said.
The visitor’s room was large and had big windows that looked out over the expansive lawn. Hudson hoped his mom was getting plenty of time outdoors. One of her favorite activities had been going on long walks with Clay throughout the Evergreen Pride territory.
He felt a pang of his own at the loss of Clay. Clay had been a great stepdad, and Hudson had even taken Clay’s last name when Clay adopted him. He’d kept correcting people so often on his new last name, that everyone just started calling him “Hudson.”
His mom wasn’t in the visitors’ room yet, so Hudson and Viviana sat side by side on a small couch. She looked around at the room, taking in the details, like he had done.
“What does it smell like in here?” he asked her. “Beyond the physical stuff?”
She gave an experimental sniff. “Sadness, mostly. Some desperation. Confusion. Emotions don’t always have discernible scents, but those are the ones I’m picking up.”
She reached over and took his hand. It felt right, and Hudson didn’t have the strength to pull away. But how would he manage to keep his distance from her enough that he’d be able to do his job properly?
After a minute of waiting, Hudson saw his mom approaching the doorway to the visitor’s room. He stood up and went over to her.
“Hudson,” his mom said. Her voice sounded dry and soft, unused.
“Mom.” He pulled her into a hug. She felt frail within his embrace, but then she hugged him back and he detected her core strength. She would come out of this. Maybe not right away, but soon, he hoped. “Are they treating you okay? How’s the food?”
She gave him a wobbly smile. “They’re treating me just fine. It’s not the Evergreens, but this place has its own hierarchy. I miss everyone, though.”
He nodded. “I’m just so glad you’re speaking to me again.”
She squeezed his hand. “And who’s this?”
“Oh, sorry,” Hudson said. “Mom, this is Viviana Corona-McKennon. Viviana, this is my mom, Ellie Hudson.”
He watched as Viviana confidently shook his mother’s hand. His mom and Viviana were about the same height, but Viviana’s fair features were a contrast to his mom’s darker ones.
“It’s about time for the afternoon snack,” his mom said. “Do you two want to join me in the cafeteria?”
“Of course,” Viviana murmured.
The three of them stood in line at the little buffet counter in the cafeteria—a small room populated with five or six round tables. It was a social place, Hudson noted, but not many of the guests seemed too interested in being social. Viviana chatted with his mom about mundane things like the weather, and how the summer blossoms were holding up after the unseasonable cool spell last week.
They had an easy way together and Hudson felt grateful that Viviana had come along. He’d never been great at small talk, but he had a feeling it was exactly what his mother needed right now.
While Viviana refilled her sparkling water at the fountain, Hudson’s mom leaned closer to him. “Your mate is wonderful.”
“My—no. Mom, that’s not it at all.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Honey, I know a match when I see one. The two of you—you’re mates. I saw how you look at each other.”
Just then, Viviana glanced back over at them. Hudson couldn’t ignore the soft look in her eyes. So it wasn’t just him who had these strong feelings. If Viviana felt the same way, how was he going to remain professional? Well, he’d already slipped up—more than once—but he had to get things back on track.
“She’s a job, Mom. I’m being paid to protect her.”
His mom shrugged. “Whatever you want to believe, honey.”
Their lunch passed quietly, with small chitchat. His mom used to be a total chatterbox, but now she mostly nodded and added a word or two here and there while Viviana and Hudson carried the conversation. It wasn’t like his mom, but he knew she’d be back to her old self. A sadder self, because nothing could ever erase the hurt of Clay’s passing. But at least she’d continue to live her life.
After visiting in the cafeteria, they went on a quick tour to see his mother’s sparse, but cheery room. From there, they decided to go outside and take in some sun. Viviana began walking ahead of them down the path. Hudson started to follow her, but his mom tugged on his hand. “Son, I see you’re afraid of this match. You don’t want to find a mate. But it’s not all heartache. If I had to do it all over again, even the terrible pain after, I would. I wouldn’t trade anything for my time with Clay.”
Her mouth pulled down in a frown, and she looked up at the sky. Hudson followed her gaze, thinking she’d seen something up there, but the sky was pale and empty.
His mom’s gaze shuttered, and he could see the exact moment that she’d pulled back into herself. “Mom,” he said. “Mom.”
Viviana turned on the path and rushed back to Hudson’s side. “Ellie?”
“She won’t respond again,” Hudson said.
“Okay,” Viviana said. “I’ll go find a nurse.”
Hudson waited with his mom while Viviana went back inside. Soon, Viviana returned with a nurse. The nurse took Hudson’s mom gently by the elbow and led her into the building.
Hudson looked around, not sure of what to do or where to go. “Well, I guess that’s it, then,” he said to Viviana.
“Yeah,” she said. “I’m sorry. Do you know what triggered her?”
“She said something about Clay, and doing it all over again.” Hudson ran a hand through his hair. He hated that his mom was hurting.
“We should leave, probably,” Viviana said, her voice gentle.
“I guess so.”
They passed through the building and signed out, then headed to Hudson’s car.
“Thanks for letting me meet your mom,” Viviana said.
“You’re welcome. Thank you for coming with me.”
She reached over and held his hand, and kept it in hers for the entire drive back to the Corona mansion.
Hudson liked the feeling. He never wanted her to let go.