Ulterior

Leaning back into the chesterfield, Lina extended a hand toward Tess, “Might I suggest you wait on sending your text? I think a matter of this magnitude deserves a face to face discussion. I spoke to your mother earlier and told her Tom had run off with Janine, but if it is your intent to disclose the truth, as it were, then I think she needs to see him. To try and relate a situation of this particular nature via text might not be the most appropriate,” she suggested.

“You’re on her side now?” Tom asked, pushing himself back to his feet in the center of Tess’s palm.

Thinking of him inside her daughter’s stomach, “Your sister is right, and as much as I want to revisit some of the more memorable experiences of our time together, Tess is right, your mother needs to know,” Lina conceded, smiling.

Given the state of his concussed head, Tom refrained from shaking it, “But,” he voiced.

Tess let out a sigh. She had dreaded the potential confrontation looming with Lina which is why she never bothered to respond to the text requesting her to call. “Thank you,” she said, nodding.

Tom frowned.

Looking at Tess, “There is no stopping your mother, plain and simple. It would be easy to conceal him and hide what had happened to him from her, for a while. But with each passing day, things will just get progressively harder. School for example. The running away with Janine might have covered for a short time, but in the end, he is still tiny, still vulnerable,” she acknowledged, nodding her head.

“You know she is going to put me in a danger proof fish tank or something?” Tom said, face tilted up to look at his sister. “Tom the Tank Boy, that’s what they’re going to call me. That could be the title of my autobiography.”

“Whatever arrangements she makes or the condition of your accommodation will be between you and her, but she has the right to know,” replied the dark haired girl, though she knew he was probably right, their mother would go most certainly go overboard to protect him.

He knew that resolute look in Tess’s expression, there was no way to persuade her to a different course of action, that stubbornness, like her physical appearance was a duplicate of their mother. No words would sway her and he knew she knew how it was going to play out. “So what now then?” he asked, resigning himself to the fact he was now on a countdown timer until his mother arrived.

Tess looked over to Cassidy, “I guess the only thing we can do right now is try and get him better,” she said, shrugging her shoulder but keeping the hand he was on steady.

The nurse nodded, “He is still a little woozy and right the best thing for him is to rest, get some sleep,” she advised.

“I though you weren’t supposed to sleep with a concussion?” Lina said. “Isn’t that bad, like you could slip into a coma bad?”

“As long as there does not appear to be significant neurological impairment and I don’t think there is any cranial hemorrhaging, he should be fine but I’ll monitor it,” she assured.

Whether from the fall or the vigorous use of him the night previous or some combination of the two, Tom was tired. “Sleep would be good,” he said, the last word stretching into a yawn.

Stepping in, Cassidy put her hand out and let Tess transfer the young man into her hand, “I’ve got a bed set up for him,” she said before taking him out of the room.

“I appreciate your understanding in this,” Tess said, smiling at the older woman.

Lina returned the smile, “I think sometimes we get caught up in our ambitions and lose sight of what’s at stake. In this case, it’s what’s best for Tom,” she replied, wishing she had taken another moment to hold him in her hand.

“How do you Janine is going to take it?” Tess inquired, curious how the blonde might react.

Lina chuckled, “I’m not really sure how to describe the relationship between the two of them. I think in the end she’ll be fine, I do think at present your brother may have initiated a crisis of conscience in my younger daughter,” she answered.

“Sorry?” Tess responded, shaking her head and looking in askance at Lina.

“It’s nothing,” Lina assured, dismissing her previous comment and rising to her feet. She was surprised by the tingling she felt between her thighs, the delicious sensation of holding Tom, if only for a brief time.

Cassidy returned, a smile on her face.

I have to be going,” Lina said. “There are a million things to do and practically no time to do them,” she added with a chuckle.

“Oh, okay,” replied the nurse, fetching her jacket.

Lina turned to Tess, “I hope I’ve said enough to keep you from sending that text or least delaying it?” she queried.

“Cassidy and I will bring Tom to your house Friday when my mother arrives,” Tess said.

“Of course,” Lina smiled, taking her coat and slipping it on. “I’ll text you the moment she touches down and my car collects her,” she promised.

Tess nodded and smiled, “Thanks, I appreciate that,” she said, grateful for finding an amicable means of resolving the situation.                                                                                    

Lina exchanged some parting words with the other two women before departing. Out in the corridor, she walked the short distance and pushed the down arrow button to summon the elevator. There still might be a way to salvage the situation. Getting in the car, she touch the ‘L’ button and waited for the door to close before pulling out her cell phone. Finding the desired contact, she arrived at the ground floor, phone to her ear, “Put me directly through to Serena Hall,” she instructed, crossing the lobby and out to where she had parked her car.