When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 147

Nelly barely had time to react before someone shoved her. She stumbled backward, almost slamming into the car door.

Brody’s arm shot out just in time, steadying her by the waist.

They were so close, it almost felt like a hug. Nelly pulled away quickly. “Thanks.”

Her voice was polite—too polite, and just as cold.

Brody’s eyes lost their warmth. He started to say something, then thought better of it.

Instead, he looked over at Tina, who was hovering over Carrie, fussing nonstop. “Do you not see there’s another patient right here?”

“Who could possibly be more important than my granddaughter?” Tina snapped back.

She knew Brody was talking about Nelly. She’d heard about what happened, how Nelly risked everything to save Carrie. But in her mind, that’s just what a mother should do. Nelly had brought the kidnappers into their lives in the first place. If something happened to her, she had no one to blame but herself. At least Carrie was safe.

“Your granddaughter is alive because of Nelly.”

Brody’s voice was icy, laced with a frustration he couldn’t hide.

“She’s her mother. Isn’t it her job to save her own kid? None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for her!” Tina shot Nelly a glare, her words even sharper.

But before she could finish, Carrie yanked her hand away from her grandmother. She marched over to Nelly and stood protectively in front of her, her voice steady and determined.

“Grandma, please stop saying bad things about Mom. She didn’t do anything wrong. She saved me, and she got hurt!”

Carrie’s eyes were red, her little face scrunched up in anger.

It was the first time she’d ever stood up for her mom.

Actually, she’d wanted to do it for years. Every time Grandma criticized her mom, Carrie wanted to defend her. She’d just been too scared to go against her grandmother. Over time, that bottled-up hurt turned into anger at her mom instead. She’d started to believe her mom wasn’t good enough, that she was embarrassing, mostly because her grandma couldn’t let go of her own grudges.

Carrie was just a kid. She couldn’t stand hearing her mom get torn down, but she never knew how to stop it. So she took it out on Nelly, little by little.

Looking back now, Carrie felt sorry for her mom. All these years, her mom took the blame without ever blaming anyone back.

Tina was stunned. Carrie had always been such a good kid, always listened to her. And now, she was talking back. For Nelly.

“It’s not wrong to stand up for the mother of my child, is it?” Brody hesitated, almost said something else, then stopped himself. “If you still don’t know how to behave at your age, maybe my father can remind you.”

Tina’s whole body shook. She was speechless. Brody had always made her walk on eggshells, but he’d never humiliated her like this in front of a crowd.

Brody didn’t look back. He guided Nelly and Carrie toward the hospital. He reached for Carrie’s hand, and almost for Nelly’s too, but she slipped away, whether by accident or on purpose, and walked on Carrie’s other side.

…

At the hospital, after the exams, the doctor said Nelly only had a mild concussion. The cut on her head wasn’t deep, just needed a few stitches.

Nelly cared about her looks. The wound was right above her eyebrow, and she kept asking the doctor how to avoid a scar.

Brody walked in just as she was asking.

“If you’re really worried, you can get it fixed later. I’ll cover the cost,” he said.

His words made Nelly feel prickly all over. It sounded like he was trying to put a price on what she’d done. Or maybe she just couldn’t stand him anymore. Even the way he breathed seemed to get under her skin.