Twin Deception(20)
Luke glanced at Sadi, his eyes deep pools of sorrow. It actually scared Sadi because, despite everything, she thought Luke would be happy to see his brother.
“I hope so, Sadi, I really hope so.”
“Wow, this place is huge,” Connor whistled after the tour of Luke and Sadi’s home. A home he had been in countless times before but couldn’t remember.
Sadi gave a shaky smile when Luke didn’t say anything. He had gone to pick up Connor, who was being discharged from the hospital. Sadi had waited at home with the kids. She was nervous about Connor coming to stay with them, but it was nothing compared to how Luke had been acting the past couple days.
He had taken two weeks off work to try and help Connor get comfortable at the house, but he had acted like a caged animal until his brother had been discharged.
Sadi had hoped the strange behaviour would stop after Connor arrived at the house but it only got worse. Luke was fidgety throughout the tour of the house. He watched Connor like a hawk, almost as if he could no longer trust the brother he grew up with.
“Luke,” Sadi finally said. “Maybe you could sit down and tell Connor a little bit about the company or something.”
Luke finally did as she suggested, leaving her free in the kitchen to feed the children. Connor Jr.. seemed to be very excited that there was a new person in house. The baby hadn’t minded being held by a stranger either. It was as if they knew this was their uncle, even if Connor didn’t understand that he was.
Sadi prepared dinner but the tension was worse than when Connor first arrived. Luke picked at his food, shooting his brother glances when he thought no one was looking. Connor looked distinctly uncomfortable, as if he had been plucked from a life he had been living for two years and placed in a stranger’s home. Sadi knew that was, in essence, what had happened.
Sadi finally set down her fork and asked Luke to help her get Connor Jr.. ready for bed. She wanted some time alone with Katelyn to get her changed and fed and settled. Luke was all too happy to oblige. Connor excused himself to the living room. Sadi saw him get out his cell phone along the way.
Luke popped into the nursery to check on Sadi and Katelyn after he had Connor Jr.. settled in his crib.
“You’re acting like a crazy person Luke,” Sadi whispered, glad she finally had her husband to herself.
“I just don’t trust him,” Luke whispered back. He glanced around as if Connor had suddenly appeared to stand behind him but the hallway was empty. “I don’t know… this whole thing…. it’s just…”
“Crazy.”
Luke nodded. “Yes.”
Sadi sighed. “It is crazy Luke, but we need to think of Connor now. We need to give him the time it takes to get his memory back. Or we need to prepare ourselves for the fact that it may never come back and that maybe he just needs to live his own life now. Maybe we can help him get resettled, give him some money to buy a house and a car for himself.”
Luke gave Sadi a kiss on the forehead. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Sadi glanced into her husband’s face. She saw a shadow there that hadn’t been there before. He seemed on edge, and as if there were something very wrong. Something far worse than Connor just showing up.
Luke had taken two weeks off work but then he had had to go back. Pearson and Pearson could only survive so long with him away.
Sadi was left at home with the children, to try and entertain Connor, who was going a little stir crazy from not having anything meaningful to do. Sadi sympathized with him. That used to be her.
She thought that she and Luke were helping Connor but maybe they weren’t. He had a life somewhere that he had been living. She felt almost guilty that she had wanted him to come and stay in their home in hopes that he might remember who he was. Maybe they had gone about everything all wrong.
Though Connor couldn’t remember anything, he had warmed up to Sadi and Luke. Luke, on the other hand, still treated his brother like he was a suspect under investigation. Sadi caught Luke studying Connor, asking him all sorts of questions, pressing him. Luke had been under so much stress he had hardly even been intimate with Sadi. He wouldn’t touch her in front of Connor, not even so much as a brush of hands or a kiss on the cheek.
Sadi thought that was every strange. Luke really hadn’t had a problem with public affection since they had been married. She supposed he was just upset. His whole world had been turned upside down again and he was having a hard time dealing with it.
Luke had been right all along. Connor had been alive. He had trusted his instincts and he had been correct, yet somehow he didn’t look as though he was happy to have Connor back. Sadi just chalked everything up to stress. She supposed that everyone was dealing with the situation as best as they could.