Chapter 20

By the time Neal and Hestia arrived at the hospital, Joyce had been moved out of the emergency room, so they went straight to visit her in her room. Joyce's mother, Marie, was keeping watch over her. Neal entered the room and greeted her. "Mrs. Slater." Hestia did not enter the room with him. She sat down on the bench in the hallway. Inside, Marie looked up briefly at Neal, her expression indifferent as she pointed at the seat next to her. "Have a seat," she said curtly. "It's alright, Mrs. Slater. I'm just here to check on Joyce. How is she?" Neal noticed her cold demeanor. He shook his head, not wanting to make a fool of himself. In truth, he didn't have a particularly close relationship with Marie. However, she had still been his mother's best friend; after Neal's parents passed away, Marie had helped him too. It hadn't been much, but any kindness during hardship was always invaluable. Even if Marie had hidden Joyce and Corey's relationship from him, she had always been kind