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12| Home

"I had the best time today Wes." Kenna says digging her face into my arm.

"Me too Kenny baby." I reply smiling running my hand through her hair with my other hand on the wheel. We left around 3 pm so I could make it to my shift at Carter's. With Riley not working with us anymore, I don't have as much free time as I did the last 2 days which sucks, but today makes up for it. To say today was perfect would be an understatement.

Kenna always has a smile glued to her face but since the kiss, her smile has been extra wide. Every now and then she plants small short kisses on my forearm and jaw, which I love.

She grabs the aux cord and gestures it towards her phone, asking to play music. I notice with Kenna, she tries to avoid asking questions head on because she fears rejection. But I don't think I could ever say no to her.

"Can I?" Kenna whispers.

"You don't have to ask Kenna." I whisper leaning into her and kissing her cheek.

A few songs in, my phone starts buzzing in the cup holder of the middle console, Kenna's eyes shoot towards my phone and so do mine.

My stomach immediately drops.

"Turn the music off Kennedy."

"Wes is everything okay-"

"Turn the music off." She does as I say and puts her hands in her lap scared to move.

My hand leaves Kenna's thigh and I move it on to the steering wheel- my grip tightening. Dad told me he would only call me for two reasons, once I got to the shop on my first day, and when something happened to Mom.

I immediately steer off of the road pulling over and put the truck in park. My hand shaking uncontrollably moving from the shift to my phone.

"Hi." I answer the phone quietly, my voice low enough to barely even be heard.

"Hi son. Think you can make a trip back home for a few days?" He sounds exhausted and his voice is extremely raspy.

"Tell me she's okay Dad. Tell me." Silence fills the truck.

"Tell me!" I yell when he doesn't answer. Kenna flinches and I turn to her. She looks confused and lost and scared and all I want to do is hold her and talk to her but I can't right now. I shake my head towards her mouthing I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. She just nods ands looks down at her lap, her hand rubbing on the hem of her T shirt. Shit.

"She's hanging on son." My dad finally answers.

"I'm on my way." I immediately hang up putting the car back in drive.

My mom has been battling drug addiction for years but it feels like a lifetime. It's hard to process that the person who guided you through life, taught you right from wrong, and how to love, is the one hurting. And there's nothing you can do to fix it. My mom is stationed at Malibu Mental and Medical Hospital which is only about a 20 minute drive from my house so I plan on staying in Malibu for a week or two.

"I have to go back home for a little Kenna, I'm going to drop you off and head over there, okay?" Kenna looks terrified, still clueless of what's going on, which she doesn't deserve. She deserves to know me like I know her but I can't bring myself to explain right now.