“You don’t have to do that. I can hire a man,” she said, but I could see the gratitude on her face.
“Or you can let me take care of it and save your money. After all, I owe you for all the food you give me every week.”
“Oh, Raul, you can’t fool me,” she said, patting my cheek with the palm of her hand. She was the only person in my life that still called me by my given name. To everyone else, I was just “Trainer.” I wouldn’t know how to respond to anything else. “I think you just want to butter me up because you have a birthday coming up soon.”
I smiled at her words. I had forgotten all about my birthday next month, but of course, she didn’t. “You got me,” I said, “Now how about I get to work while you finish lunch?”
“Okay, but don’t work too hard. It’s your day off.”
I didn’t bother telling her that I was basically self-employed and could take any day off I wanted. It felt good to know that she worried about me. It was something that had been missing from so much of my life that I clung to it now.
So, I made my way to the back of the house, pulling the dryer out from the wall and removing the back panel. I hunkered down and got to work, locating the heating element and disconnecting it before popping the new one into place. It was quick work, and twenty minutes later, I had put the thing back together and started it up.
Mama Tammy came into the laundry room, the open door allowing the enticing smell of fried chicken into the room. My stomach growled, reminding me that I had skipped breakfast. “Is it fixed?”
“I think so,” I replied, opening the door and sticking my hand inside. I grinned and nodded, “We have heat,” I confirmed.
“What would I do without you?” she reached out and ruffled my thick, black hair.
We made our way into the eat-in kitchen. The room was small and always seemed to be at least ten degrees hotter than the rest of the house, but it was cozy. Mama Tammy collected ceramic bears, and most of them were in this room, lining shelves and window sills. The curtains were white lace, and one end of the kitchen table always had a stack of unopened junk mail. I was sure that I looked completely out of place here in my leathers and riding boots. But Mama Tammy didn’t care. She just sat a fully loaded plate on the table in front of me.
I wasted no time picking up a chicken leg and digging in. Flavor exploded in my mouth, making me groan.
“This is delicious,” I told her, using my fork to scoop up some mashed potatoes.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” she said, but there was a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.
I took her advice and shut up while inhaling the food. She was also quiet, which was unusual. Normally, she filled our time together with chatter. Something must be on her mind.
Finally, when I finished off the last of the green beans on my plate, she spoke, “I need to tell you something.”
I laid my fork down and gave her my full attention. “What is it?”
“It’s not easy to tell you this...I know how you worry about me.”
Unease made my stomach roll. “What is it?” I repeated.
“I’ve got a lump.”
“What?” I furrowed my brow in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“A lump on my breast. I have to go in for a biopsy next week.”
I couldn’t form words right away. I wasn’t used to this kind of strong emotional distress, and it made my chest feel tight. Mama Tammy was the only person in my life outside of the Outlaw Souls, and the thought of losing her felt like drowning.
“I, uh, don’t know what to say…” I swallowed. “Do they think it’s…” I didn’t want to say the C-word.
“They won’t know until I get the results of the biopsy,” she said, folding her hands on the table in front of her. “I was hoping you’d take me. I’ll need a ride home afterward.”
“Of course,” I agreed quickly.
“It’s on Monday morning.”
“I’ll pick you up.”
“Not on that contraption outside,” she added sternly. I surprised myself by breaking out into a full belly laugh, breaking the tension in the small room. She was always giving me a hard time about riding a bike and how unsafe she thought it was, and to hear her worrying about it now brought me back from the edge of panic. She was still the same old Mama Tammy that she’d always been, and no good would come from freaking out right now.
“Okay, okay. I’ll bring the car. But I’m telling you, you’d love riding one. Feeling the air on your face… there’s nothing like it.”
