IVAN

It had taken two weeks for me to recover. And then another two weeks before I was able to be discharged. The last two weeks were the worst, I was completely bedridden and I did nothing but writing and look over reports.

And I'll admit, it was the worst two weeks of my life.

My shoulder ached and I was popping painkillers like candy to keep it away. Dr Carlson has reminded to me bear the pain, taking too many pain meds would only make it worse. A part of me wanted to tell him to fuck off but he had a medical degree and I had an MBA, it's obvious who I listened to. I looked down at the papers strewn across my desk. Some of them were urgent, and others I could procrastinate on. The one I was supposed to sign off on took me almost thirty minutes because every time I tried reading a damn line my mind wandered away.

I was about to say fuck it and call it a day when the door opened with a slight creak. Normally I would tell someone off for entering my study without knocking. Not even Anya could get away with that.

My mother walked in, dressed in black from head to toe. Her brown hair was stained with silver streaks at her temple, pulled aside to reveal her worried pale face. Her face looked so tired and I felt tense just at the sight of her. Maybe it's because I noticed how ghost-like she had become, she looked like a husk most of the time, barely speaking or moving.

I hadn't seen her in weeks. Even though I'd been in our childhood home for weeks, I felt like she was toast just coming out of the wall. I knew that she was grieving, I didn't expect her sadness and anger to go away suddenly but I just didn't understand why didn't she come and see me when I was in the hospital.

I put a smile on my face, masking the sudden uneasiness that surrounded me. I stood up, pushing away my chair. "Mom." I braced myself for whatever she was going to say. "I'm happy to see you."

"Ivan, dear." She gave me a weak smile and sat down in the chair, crossing her ankles gracefully. "How's the shoulder? Healed up?"

"Better." I sat up and got her a drink from the bar cart in the corner.

Eddie had asked if I wanted it to be taken out but I insisted that it should stay. Dad never really drank much, it was more of a decoration than anything but I didn't have the heart to get rid of it. Maybe one day I will. Who knows?

I knew mom stayed away from alcohol too but there were times when she would pour herself a strong drink. Nobody dared to speak about it when it happened. We just pretended there wasn't a crystal glass in her hand. I poured the half-empty bottle of cognac into one of the crystal glasses before handing it over to her. She thanked me and took a silent sip of the amber liquid, her eyes glancing over my shoulder and staring out into the garden that Anya had painstakingly restored.

I wished knew what my mother was thinking. She had green eyes which were intuitive. Sometimes, her eyes would sparkle when someone interested her. These days, I haven't seen her eyes shine like that. Now they were just dull and almost lifeless.

I waited patiently for her to say something.

"I heard you nearly died." She finally said. Her hands cradled the drink close to her chest. "Don't be surprised, Ivan. I'm your mother. I know everything. Your father and I were married for almost 35 years. I've learned a few tricks."

I sighed loudly. There was nothing to hide from my mother; she had the nose of a bloodhound, the eyes of an eagle, and the instinct of a shark. I hated that she knew. I hated how it worried her. And I also hated what came next. "It was an exaggeration. See, good as new." I tapped my shoulder with my pen. "Nothing to worry about, mom. I'm as healthy as a horse."

"Is that why Anya has taken over and you're here?" She sniffed. "She carries around your gun."

"Only for a few weeks. I feel safe to know that she has it on her." I gave her a strained smile. "She's capable."

Her plum-stained lips turned into a scowl.

Anya has always been her favourite child. I was my father's. It just made sense. Anya was her joy and I was my father's pride. It's a miracle we didn't try to kill each other as children with the expectations our parents put on us. I knew mom hated the fact that most of her children were involved in the business. She had managed to keep Dimitri and Irene out so far. Dad wouldn't be allowed anyone to go near them. I didn't want my two youngest siblings involved in this. That was the last thing I wanted. I entertained the idea of sending both of them off to Europe but Dimitri wouldn't budge on the idea. If they got caught in the crossfire, mom would never forgive me. And I would never forgive myself either.

"Mom. Trust me. I know what I'm doing." I knew what she wanted and I wasn't going to give in.  "I have this under control."

"That's the thing, Ivan. I don't want my children to end up like their father," mom said quietly. She placed the crystal glass down loudly. "Anya and you especially."

"I'm not gonna end up like dad!" I groaned. I don't think I could deal with this same old argument again. "I have it under control!"

"You're father said the same thing and now he's six feet deep in a cold, damp grave." She hissed. "If you think I'll let my oldest son die because——"

"I'm not gonna die!" I snapped.

"Your actions say otherwise!"

I held out my hands. "What do you want me to do?!"

"You need your family." She glared at me. "You could start by bringing your sister home."

"Is this what this is about?" I asked tersely. "Asking about my shoulder is just a conversation starter, wasn't it? I doubt you care. You just want your perfect little family back together, don't you?"

"Ivan!" Her eyes snapped up to mine, glaring. "Don't you dare insinuate I don't care about my children, Ivan? Your sister—-"

"She isn't coming home. You heard her." I huffed in annoyance and collapsed into my seat "I can't blame her. We're a mess. It's been a couple of shitty years. Let her be, mom."

I didn't need this right now. Why did my mom always want to start a fight with me? I know she loves me, and I know she's scared but our conversations always end up in fights. We ignored each other for weeks and then pretend nothing ever happened in the first place. Quite frankly, I'm sick of it. I got up from my chair and grabbed my coat off the coat rack.

"Ivan! Please!" She called out, trying to grab my sleeve as I walked past her.

"What do you want me to do? Drag her home?"

"It's what I would've done."

I rolled my eyes at her answer. My second youngest sister pretty much swore that she was never coming back to this house. It had been months already. I doubt she'd even want to talk to me. She'd probably stick a knife in me if I dared.

"I can't do that!"

"Are you in charge or not?" She pointed at the door. "You can bring her home. I don't—-"

"Not a chance!" I snapped, turning on my heels sharply to look at her. "And she's an adult! She can make her own choices. It's time you accept that. But that's your problem, mom, isn't it? You can't accept anything. Dad is dead! Anya is a widow! And I'm the one who's keeping all of us safe!"

Mom didn't flinch back as I raised my voice. She kept a steady and even gaze. Mom never backed down from a fight, it was one of the many reasons dad married her in the first place. "I'm so tired, Ivan. And I'm scared." She admitted. She sighed deeply. "I hate fighting with you."

"Me too, mom." I pushed the scattered papers into a messy file. "But I don't understand why you keep doing it."

"At least promise me you won't die."

I shook my head and stood up. "I can't promise that, mom. Ask me anything. Anything and I'll do it but not that."

"Ivan!"

I leave. I just walk away. I don't even look back or hear anything. I barely notice when I'm outside until a gust of cold air hits my face. I shake off my stupor and looked for the nearest car. That happened to Nik's old ford.

Felix was smoking a cigarette when he saw me stalking toward the car. He flicked it to the side and Without a word he reached into his pocket, tossed me the keys, and slipped into a passenger seat. I got in and barely said a word to him.

The sound of gravel crunching underneath the tires was drowned out by my heartbeat thudding in my ears. I didn't care to stop when I got to the gates, I pressed down harder on the accelerator and just floored it. I end up driving till it gets dark. I didn't calm down until I reached the city, all within an hour.

Felix stayed silent, staring down at his phone. I knew he was texting Anya. He was just doing his job so I didn't snap at him.

"You hungry, boss?" He asked, after a while.

I glanced up in the rearview mirror. So far, nothing was out of the ordinary. "Sure. I could go for a bite. Any suggestions?"

*****

I sat by the curbside, sipping on a milkshake outside a local diner. It wasn't dignified but I could care less about how I looked right now. I felt like shit and I was in an even shittier mood.

"Good evening. Fancy seeing you here." Fucking great. I'm about to turn around and tell them to piss off.

"Hey, It's you!" Felix exclaimed suddenly, smiling at the women. "How are you, Doc?!"

The words die on my tongue and I'm left with nothing to say. I close my mouth with a clack. Meera—-or Dr Saravana as Anya called her—was dressed in a soft blue overcoat. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, she wore a dark turtle neck with grey pants and tan-coloured boots. She looked a little tired, the circles underneath her eyes weren't hidden by her square-shaped glasses.

"Hey. I hope you're feeling better. That cut was really nasty." She glanced down at his hands. "I hope you didn't tear the stitches."

Felix beamed at her, raising them. There was a faint scar across his palm, shiny and faded. "Good as new. All thanks to you and your staff."

"Um....right. Mr Farewell." She cleared her throat, turning to me. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

I stood up so fast that I nearly stumbled and dropped my milkshake. I squared my shoulders, hoping that I didn't look like I was sulking on the sidewalk only a few moments ago. "Dr Saravana. Hello."

Felix snickered behind me. I couldn't even be bothered to turn around to glare at him.

"How's the shoulder?" She asked.

I gave her a half-shrug, trying not to wince at the lingering throb of pain. "It's better. Thank you for asking. Dr Carlson said I could leave my bed........ so here I am."

Dr Saravana gave me a closed-lipped smile. I didn't know what to say to her. I wanted to ask her a lot of things but I didn't know if they would offend her or maybe freak her out. Most people aren't used to dealing with criminals and gang members but given how easily Dr Saravana greeted Felix, I guess she was used to it.

Felix caught the look on my face and stepped in. "Are you heading to work, Doctor?"

She shook her head. "I'm heading home. My shift just ended." Dr Saravana pointed towards the bus stop. "I just wanted to say hi to you before I left."

"Ah." I nodded. Okay, I guess I freaked out about nothing then. "Would you like to join us at the diner while you wait?"

"Oh, it's okay. I don't want to bother you."

"You wouldn't be bothering us at all, Doctor," I said. "You did save my life, after all, it's the least I could do to say thank you. This place has really good fries."

It was pretty late and there weren't that many people around. The idea of having Dr Saravana waiting alone at the bus stop didn't sit well with me. Dr Saravana glanced over to Eddie. He looked like he was watching one of those tele-novas that he and his mother liked so much.

"I'm okay with it if you're okay with it, Doc!" He winked at her for extra measure. Dr Saravana looked unphased by his blatant flirting.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Forgive him, he doesn't have much of a brain around pretty women."

"Oh. It's alright." Dr Saravana bit her lip and glanced at the bus stop again.

I could sense that she was a bit anxious. What if I was putting her in a spot where she couldn't say no? God, Anya would kill me. I cleared my throat and backpedalled quickly. Ugh, I was a fucking mess. Pull yourself together, man!

"It's okay if you don't want to, Doctor. We wouldn't mind waiting out here with you." I said hurriedly. "It's not safe around here this late anyway. We'll just keep you company until the bus arrives."

"No, actually it's okay." I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep myself from smiling. "It's kind of you."

"Okay," I nodded to Felix. "let's grab a booth then."

"Your wish is my command." Felix opened the door and ushered Dr Saravana in. "New York's best food is just through this door. I hope you like fries, Angel."

"Who would say no to free food, Felix?" She responded breezily. Dr Saravana turned around to me and said: "I'll take you on your word about the fries."

I turned around and quickly surveyed our surroundings. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary but that didn't mean there was nothing there. A part of me wondered if I was leading Dr Saravana into trouble. I brushed the thought off and walked inside. The warmth of the diner chased away the cold November chill. I took off my gloves and stuffed them into my pocket.

Felix has chosen a booth in the corner that was glued to the window. He had his back to the wall. Dr Saravana was seated next to him, playfully rolling her eyes at his flirty remarks. I wondered just how she was able to get along with my men in a short few weeks. I'll admit, I knew virtually nothing about her other than her name and her profession. Growing up in this life taught me to be suspicious of everyone and everything, Dr. Saravana was no exception. I sat down across from them, folding my hands over the table. The milkshake I had earlier was nearly done. I placed it in a corner and silently listened to their conversation.

They were in a discussion about her work. This was a good opportunity to observe her.

I noticed that she played with her pendent a lot. It must've been an unconscious tick. Kinda like the way I fiddled with my dad's ring. Her body language didn't indicate that she was hiding anything. She was both open and closed at the same time, keeping her distance while giving Felix her attention. The way her hands were folded atop the table and the way her shoulder hunched a little bit, maybe she was shy. Dr Saravana was good at hiding her intentions if she had any. I let it rest and leaned back.

I thought about running a background check on her just in case but I quickly dismissed those thoughts. Anya had been the one to choose her from a very carefully vetted list of candidates. She'd probably done a background check already. Anya knew what she was doing. I trusted her judgement.

One of the waitresses brought over a basket of fries and laid it down on the table. Dr Saravana thanked her to which the waitress smiled before walking away. 

I sighed and pulled out my phone, turning it on. A barrage of text messages came hurling at me. All of them are from Anya and several are from Nik.

Fuck.

Anya had probably sent out an entire team of men just to look for me.

Queen Anya

Hey. I'm heading out.

Did you seriously leave the house without security?

-_-

Why is mom crying in the drawing room?!

Ivan! Did you two fight? Again?!

I swear to god, I'm going to kill you when I find you! 😡😡

Answer me, Asshole!

That's it. I'm sending Nik.

I sighed. I knew that when I got home, it was gonna be a shit storm. I looked at Nik's messages next.

D(N)ick

Hey

Did you eat my leftovers?

Okay. I just came in to find Anya screaming and mom crying. WTF. 😳

Seriously?

I just wanted to have a quiet night in and watch Golden Girls!

If you get killed I'm going to resurrect you from the dead and have Anya kill you again.

🖕

I felt a little bad that I had sent Anya into panic mode. The house and city were probably filled with our men trying to find me. Sooner or later, I'd have to go home and get a verbal ass-whooping.

I typed back a quick response.

I'm fine.

Felix and Dr Saravana are with me.

Felix glanced down at his phone which started ringing like crazy a soon as I sent that message.

Huh. Anya must've been too pissed to even call me. I felt sorry for Felix, an angry Anya was like a fire-breathing dragon. He had my sincere condolences.

"Hey, boss? Why is Anya calling me?"

"She's probably mad," I stated. I plucked a fry and popped it into my mouth.

I nodded, putting my phone away. Felix looked concerned and got up quickly. "What do I do?" He squeaked in fear.

"Tell her I'm fine and that I'm near the clinic. If she starts yelling at you just let her until she calms down."

"Y-yeah. You got it, Boss." He left the diner leaving Dr Saravana and me alone.

It was awkward, to say the least. I pushed the basket of fries towards her. She glanced up with her brown eyes.

I glanced away, staring down at my hands.

"Is everything okay?"

I smiled grimly. "Fine. Just a small misunderstanding. I'll probably have to get my sister and mother flowers for making them worry."

"Is that why you were sulking in the curbside?"

"I wasn't——" I closed my mouth with a clack, ignoring the flush of heat that rushed down my neck. "I'll have you know that I was contemplating and brooding in silence."

"On the curbside with a milkshake in your hand." Dr Saravana smirked. She picked up the ketchup bottle and the mayonnaise. I watched in horror as she mixed the two sauces. "We've all been there."

I cringed.

She looked delighted.

I shoved my disgust away. It was only mayonnaise and ketchup. Not like it was the worst combination in the world.

I loosened my tie, hoping that she didn't notice how uncomfortable I was. It wasn't her fault that I'm a mess.

"I never was able to properly Thank you for saving my life."

"You really don't have to. I was doing my job." She said. She seemed amused by my words. "There's no need to thank me."

She did a whole lot more than her job. I wish she was able to see that.

"I know but if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to go back to my family," I said sincerely. "It's not something I could ever repay."

She chuckled and picked up a fry from the basket. "I'll say it again. You don't owe me anything, Mr Farewell. I'm happy that you're well."

"Anya would kill me if I didn't at least say thank you."

Dr Saravana raised her eyebrow thoughtfully. "I doubt that. Miss Farewell cares for you deeply. Siblings are like that, after all."

"My siblings annoy me just as much as they love me." I huffed. "Are you an only child?"

Dr Saravana gave me another close-lipped smile. "No. I'm not. Sadly, I'm the baby of the family. Therefore, I can't understand your pain."

Now that was something I couldn't imagine. She didn't seem like the type to come from a big family. Dr Saravana was aloof and distant, her answers were just as vague as the way.

"I would have never guessed it."  I chuckled.

"You're the oldest in yours, right?" I nodded at her inference. "It must be nice."

"I suppose your parents had a lot to deal with?"

She laughed, tucking a loose strand behind her head. "You could say that. There was never a day where my siblings and I didn't fight over something."

I leaned forward, grinning. "Such as?"

Dr Saravana shrugged, looking up thoughtfully. "You know, the usual. Who gets the tv remote? Who stole someone's sweater? Who didn't do the chores? The usual things."

I laughed. The normality of it all was funny. She gave me a straight face but her lips curved into a smile and soon she was laughing with me too, probably thinking about the absurdness of her childhood.

"You should see what my siblings and I got up to," I chuckled. "I doubt you would think we were going ever dignified."

"I'm sure it couldn't be that bad."

I ran my hand through my hair, brushing it back. "I'll tell you one day."

Dr Saravana giggles. She placed her elbows on the table, holding her face with her hands. "I look forward to that, Mr Farewell."

I cleared my throat, hoping that my face wasn't turning red. "What did your parents do?"

"Oh, Mom was a Doctor." She seemed to know what I was going to ask next. She put a finger up, silencing me. "And yes, before you ask she is the reason I wanted to be one too."

I wisely chose not to ask about her father. If she didn't mention him, there was a reason.

She turned her head and stared out the window into the empty lamp-lit streets. Felix was leaning against a parking meter and still talking on my phone.

"Cliche isn't it?" Dr Saravana said. "Sometimes I wonder if it was the right choice."

I noticed how she reached up to touch the pendant around her neck. I never got a good look at it until now.

It was a small blue-shaped rock capped with gold. I didn't expect it to be something so simple but the way she held the stone between her thumb and index finger indicated that it was of sentimental value.

I didn't even notice that I was twisting my ring until I looked down at my hand. I stopped quickly, hoping that she didn't notice.

My father left me this ring. It was one of the few things I kept of his. I wondered if the pendant was of sentimental value.

"No, it's admirable," I confessed. "What was she like? She must've been remarkable if you wanted to be a doctor like her."

"She is." Dr Saravana smiled sweetly, a faraway look in her eyes. "Kind and strong-minded. She's the best person I know."

There was something wistful in her expression. Her eyes were distant, shifting around as if she was looking at something that wasn't there.

I decided to stop asking from there. Not everyone was eager to talk about their families. Maybe Dr Saravana had a rough family life, but that probably wasn't something annoying would want to share.

I asked something else before the silence grew longer. "Why did you move to New York, Doctor? Surely it can't be because of the great weather. The east coast is a lot different from the west, isn't it?"

There was a long pause between my question and her answer. I ate a few fries, patiently waiting for her to answer. I wondered if she enjoyed playing 20 questions with me or if she was getting bored.

"Do you want a lie or do you want the truth?"  She asked eventually.

I thought about it as I chewed. Either answer was fine with me. I wasn't demanding any answers. "You choose." I decided. "It's your answer."

"That's not fair."

"Life isn't. I'll leave it up to you to choose."

"Okay." She bit down on her lip. "I wanted to get away."

From someone or something? I bit down on my tongue so I didn't say it out loud. It wasn't uncommon for people to run away and in this life, everyone had secrets. You just had to shake it out of them. But with Dr Saravana, those secrets seemed to weigh down on her mind so heavily that it was noticeable.

Maybe that was why she looked so tired. It was almost like looking into a mirror, I could understand what the feeling of burden felt like.

"That's vague." I wasn't sure if that was a lie or not. It sounded like a half-truth but I chose not to pry.

"That's up to you to interpret. You asked me to choose." She picked up another fry and nibbled on it halfheartedly. "Vague lie or a simple truth. It's up to you to decide that."

She got me there.

"Touché," I mumbled. I couldn't guess if it was a lie or a truth. It could've been both. "I can respect that."

Dr Saravana dropped her hand away from the pendant.

"Most people don't." She intoned.

"Well." I shrugged, gesturing around me. "I'm not most people."

She tilted her head, carefully observing me. I felt conscious when she looked at me with inquiring eyes. I don't know what she was searching for but I hoped whatever it was appeased her.

"No," she agreed. She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're not. You're quite different from what I expected, Mr Farewell."

"In a good way?" I asked hopefully.

She didn't give me an answer, she just gave me a mirthful smile. "Since we're playing 20 questions, tell me something. What are your parents like, Mr Farewell?"

I was a bit caught off guard by the question. I didn't understand why she would ask that. I gathered myself.  "As you know, my father isn't here anymore. And as for my mother......."

Her eyes flickered down to the table. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's been a year since his death." I reassured her gently. "My mother is handling it as well as she can. Everyone deals with death differently."

"Still," she said hesitantly, picking at a stray strong on the cuff of her jacket. "I'm sorry for your loss. It's not easy to lose a family member."

"That's.....thank you, Dr Saravana." I smiled hoping that it would ease her. I don't like talking about my father to anyone, it's not her fault.

"What is your mother like?" She tilted her head. "I've told you about mine, now tell me about yours."

I thought about it for a moment. I wasn't as mad at my mother as I was earlier, I understood that she dealt with grief differently than us. There was no denying what type of woman my mother was, she kept the family together through sheer stubbornness and grit.

"She's a bit like your mother in some way." I chuckled. "Strong-willed, Kind hearted, but she's temperamental and overprotective of us. It can get on my nerves sometimes."

She smiled at that. "Ah, yes. I remember how overprotective my mother was. I couldn't do much outside of school. A good portion of my teenage years was spent studying."

"Strict parents, huh?"

"Nah." Dr Saravana shook her head. "I think that's just how all moms are. Moms just want what's best for their kids and sometimes it can come across as a little......er......" She trailed off, waving her hand around looking for the right word.

I suggested. "Overbearing?"

She snapped her fingers. "Yes, exactly! That's the word!"

Crossing my hands over my chest, I leaned back into the uncomfortable seat, mimicking her posture. "How did you deal with it?"

"Oh, I just gave her a wide berth." Dr Saravana smiled sadly. She glanced through the window again. "I prefer to give someone space when they're angry. Confrontation isn't something I like unless I have to."

"I guess it worked." I brushed my hands off. "Are you still in contact with her?"

"She likes to send me postcards." Dr Saravana said. "It took some time but it worked. I just had to be honest and communicate. Some days are harder than others but she's my mother, I love her."

I groaned. "That sounds too easy to work."

"I'm sure your mother will forgive you." Dr Saravana glanced down at her watch. "If she doesn't want to lose you, she'll hear you out and give you space. Parents fear losing their children."

I watched in silence as she got up from the cramped booth. She moved with such surety, there was nothing to indicate that She was scared or intimidated by me. Dr Saravana treated me like any other person on the street except for her easy nature and kind words.

Outside my family and my circle, not many people treated me so familiarly. I found it refreshing. I could only sit there stunned at her words as she bid me quiet goodbye.

"Dr Saravana. Wait!" I called out. I stood up from my booth and walked over to her.

She had her scarf partially wrapped around her neck, hiding away the pendant she was playing with earlier. Her hand was already on the door handle.

I leaned in close, hoping that no one was able to hear us. She didn't move away from me, she leaned in, turning her head.

She smelled like antiseptic, it clung to her clothes but underneath that, I could smell her perfume. Floral and rich, like a fresh bouquet. I pushed the thought out of my mind quickly. My nose and cheeks burned from the cold air, turning red.

"If you ever want our help, please don't hesitate to ask me or Anya." I picked up her hand from her side and placed my business card in her gloved palm.

She shook her head, looking up a bit bewildered. "Mr Farewell, I couldn't......."

"You could," I said insistingly. "I wouldn't mind if you called me. I mean.....us. We Farewell's always kept our word......" I trailed off.

I didn't realize how close we were until Dr Saravana looked up at me. Her eyes were a soft shade of brown fanned with thick eyelashes that dusted over her cheeks as she blinked. Such lovely eyes. It was a shame that they were hidden away by her glasses.

I held her gaze hoping that she would look away but she didn't.

"Ivan." I insisted, lowering my vice. Her brows furrowed. "Call me Ivan. I'd prefer that."

She sighed and finally looked away. Her fingers were fiddling with the edge of the card. "I suppose you should call me Meera then."

"Meera, huh? It's a nice name." I took a step back. "It suits you."

She snorted at my compliment. "And so does yours." Meera looked down at the business card in her hand and smiled softly. It was gone quickly, replaced by something more polite and demure. "Are we done being polite?"

The walls she kept suddenly come back up. I was regretful that I couldn't bring them down further.

"I'll let you go now." I dropped her hand and placed my own behind my back. My fingertips dug into my wrist so hard that I could feel my pulse. It was jumping through my skin.

"Good night, Ivan. I hope you'll talk to your mother."

With one last nod of her head, she headed off into the night.

"Goodnight," I whispered to the glass door lamely.