Luke decided to make another run by Amelia’s apartment before meeting Mann, but he had to stop by his mom’s first. She’d made that quite clear last night. He entered cautiously. As the oldest, the “experimental son” Debra Kirby liked to call him, his relationship with his mom was complicated. Unlike his brothers, he never seemed to know when his mom was fake mad or real mad.
He was just finishing up at the academy when his dad died and he found himself thrust into the role of man of the house. More than his brothers, he knew how hard dad’s death had hit their mom. He’d stood outside her room some nights, listening to the harsh sound of her sobs. He’d noticed the shadows under her eyes, despite the determined smile she had for her boys. Sometimes her eyes would meet Luke’s across the room
