Free Strong (Kindred #1) by K.A. Hobbs

exhausted! See you tomorrow. xC
     
    Me: Lucky Walter. I’m going to sleep too. I’m here if you need me. xC

 
    I wake up to soft knocking on my bedroom door. Mum’s face appears ten seconds later and she smiles at me. I smile back and sit up as she comes in and sits on the bed.
    “Feel better after a sleep?” she asks, reaching out and running her thumb under my eyes.
    “A little.” I shrug.
    “Dinner is almost ready, do you want to join us?” she asks hopefully.
    “If I can wear my pyjamas.”
    “Sweetheart, you can wear whatever you like.”
    She leans forward and kisses my forehead and I close my eyes and fight back the tears that threaten to fall. I have to be strong, I have to fight this, I can’t cry and I can’t let Mum know how scared I am that I won’t survive this, that when I go to the hospital on Wednesday, they’re going to tell me that the doctors in Australia were wrong, that there is nothing they can do for me.
    “I’ll just go to the loo then I’ll be down,” I smile at her. “What are we having?”
    “Your favourite.” she grins.
    She leaves me and I reach for my phone, there’s a message from Carter and my heart leaps at the sight of his name on my screen.
    Calm down, Carmen. I tell myself.
    You’ve known this guy two days and now is not the time to start thinking about getting into anything with anyone.
    I open the message screen and there’s a photo of a cup of hot chocolate with the message; if you know the secret, it’s perfect every time ;)
    I grin and reach for Walter, sit him on my chest and take a photo of the two of us, my hair is a mess and I look half asleep, but I really don’t care. I send the photo with the message; Walter needs to know the secret. What is it? I take my phone with me when I head downstairs, the delicious scent of lasagne filling the air. I head into the kitchen and find Mum and Dad sitting at the dining table reading the papers. They both look up when I come in and smile, I almost run to them and climb into my Dad’s lap and beg him to make this better like he always could when I was a little girl.
    I don’t.
    This is hard enough on them as it is.
    “I see you dressed for the occasion.” Dad jokes, looking me up and down.
    “You mean pyjamas and fluffy slippers aren’t the done thing at the Reid family dinner table?” I smile, sitting next to him.
    “Not usually, no.” he laughs.
    “Just this once?”
    “As it’s you.” he smiles and I lean over to kiss his cheek.
    “Dad and I are having a glass of red, do you want one?” Mum asks, standing.
    “I don’t think I should.”
    “Sweetheart, one glass isn’t going to hurt you.”
    “I suppose you’re right, go on then.”
    My phone bleeps at me and I pick it up off the table, Carter’s name is sitting on the screen and Dad doesn’t even try to pretend he’s not looking over my shoulder.
    “Dad, a little privacy, please.”
    “Who’s Carter?” he asks me.
    “He’s Jack’s brother.”
    “And why is Jack’s brother texting you?”
    “Well, I gave him a lift back from Cornwall, so maybe to say thank you?” I scowl at him.
    “Okay…”
    “Don’t do that!” I slap his arm. “There is nothing in it.”
    “Is he good looking?” Mum calls from the kitchen.
    “Mum! Stop it!”
    “That means he is.” Dad teases me.
    “You know I’m looking for a place to move into, don’t you?” I tell them, glaring at Dad.
    “You don’t need to, we have your room upstairs and we’ll be here to look after you.”
    “I don’t need looking after.”
    “You might after Wednesday, while you… you know…”
    “Yes, yes, we all know.” I half shout.
    “I was just teasing, love.” Dad says, holding my hand.
    “I know, I’m sorry, everything is just…”
    “You don’t have to explain,” Mum smiles, coming into the dining room. “Here.” she hands me a glass of red wine and then hands one to Dad.
    “I suggest we toast to our beautiful daughter who has accomplished so