Chapter 75

Somewhere around noon, Tripp refused to let me lie in my pity pocket any longer.

"Callie, get up! It's lunchtime. Why are you still in bed?" he called from the doorway.

I shouldn't ignore him. They'd driven all the way here to see and spend time with me, but I couldn't seem to force myself out of bed, either. I wasn't sleeping, just unable to motivate myself to do anything other than lie here and cry until I couldn't cry anymore, then I'd wait an hour and cry some more.

"Are you okay? Do I need to get Mama?"

I was being selfish as hell. Choking back my sorrow, swallowing hard, I tried to respond with a clear voice so he couldn't tell I was upset. "No, little man. I'm getting up. Where is your mama, anyhow?"

He turned his head away from the door and screamed down the hall. I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I tossed back the blankets. When I sat up and tossed my legs over the side of the bed, my head wobbled, and I realized how swollen my eyes were when I tried to focus.