Free Sleep No More by Susan Crandall

or later, they usually ask for help."
    She closed her eyes, accepting his words with the strength he'd already grown to expect from her. "All right. Take me home."
    Bryce was in the kitchen making himself a sandwich when his mom walked in.
    "Why aren't you at school? And where's your sister? Why didn't someone wake me?" she asked, her rapid-fire questions holding a tone of accusation. She always went on the offense like this when she feared she'd been caught.
    He set his knife in the sink. "Bren's at school--I drove her. And we
did
try to wake you." He wasn't going to explain why he wasn't at school. She had no right to give him any shit about it.
    She pushed a hand through her hair and sighed, her demeanor changing in a heartbeat. She was pale, her blond hair dull; she looked almost translucent, as if she was fading away. "I'm just so exhausted. All of those days at the hospital... the funeral...." She went to the refrigerator and got out the half-and-half. Then she kissed his cheek as she passed on her way to the coffee maker. "You sweet boy, you made coffee."
    "Where'd you go last night?" he asked, fingers tensing on the edge of the countertop.
    He saw her jaw tighten before she turned to look at him. She had that
don't sass me
look on her face. "I went to see a friend."
    He snorted.
    "Things have been very difficult for me, and you know it." That angry tone was back. "I just needed a little time for myself."
    "Is that what I should tell Grandmother?"
    Her pale blue eyes snapped to his face. "You called Mother?"
    "She called here." He leaned against the counter, glad to see the panic in her eyes.
    "What did she want?" Her hands trembled as she brought the coffee cup to her lips.
    "To see how you were."
    "Oh."
    "Don't worry, I didn't tell her." He knew his grandmother would only make the situation worse; she always did. Still he wanted to kick his mom's ass right now.
    "Tell her what?" she straightened, looking defensive.
    "That you snuck out in the night and went drinking."
    "I was
not
drinking! I told you, I went to see a friend."
    "And I suppose the side mirror on your car fell off by itself." It had been hanging by the wiring when he'd gone into the garage to get his own car to drive Bren to school.
    "I stopped at the ATM. I got too close and clipped the post next to it."
    Because you were drunk.
    If Jason found out, it would ruin any chances at all of their family getting back together. The drinking had torn it apart. If his mom stayed sober long enough, Jason would come home.
    Bryce wanted to yell. He wanted to shake her. He wanted to break something.
    Instead, he picked up his sandwich and headed up to his room, slamming the door behind him.
    "Oh, my gosh, there he is!" Abby said when Jason turned at the painted sign for Abby's Flowers at the end of the lane to her house.
    Tom Whitman was leaning against the driver's door of his Explorer, parked in front of the flower shop, which was closer to the main road than the little brick cottage where Abby apparently lived. Off to the right, in front of the cottage, were the ruins of brick steps that led to nothing. Beyond that was what looked to be a formal garden in the making.
    A very unusual place to live, he thought. But then, Abby wasn't a usual woman.
    Jason pulled in next to the Ford.
    Her dad took one look at her as she got out of Jason's car and grabbed her into his arms. "What happened to you, Jitterbug? I've been sittin' here waiting forever. I thought you had a flat tire."
    Abby was visibly relieved. "I needed you to come to the
hospital
, not here."
    "I thought you said you needed to make a delivery to the hospital." He put a gentle thumb to her forehead. "What happened?"
    "It's a long story," she said. "I'll tell you after I get a shower." She turned and looked at Jason across the hood of his car. "Thanks so much for your help."
    Abby's dad walked toward Jason. "Tom Whitman." He extended his hand in introduction. "I appreciate you helping my little girl."
    Jason