Maddy opens her mouth to speak, but bites down on her bottom lip instead, keeping her words to herself. She looks up from my chest with wide sincere eyes. “Babe, you have to do what’s right for you. Just know that whatever you choose, I will be right next to you.”
Our lips meet softly and there is an understanding there – a compassion and sweetness that lets me know that I’m no longer on my own.
I break the kiss before she tries to deepen it. After spending the week away from her, I want her more than ever, but somehow I find it within myself to restrain my desires. It’s not worth the risk. Besides, being here with her, just like this, talking and holding each other, is pretty damn intimate.
My phone vibrates on her nightstand and we both freeze. It becomes the elephant in the room – the elephant that I just don’t want to acknowledge. I pick up the phone and look at the screen before answering it. It’s Katie. It’s about my mom; I know it, but I just don’t want to deal with it.
Maddy doesn’t ask a single question. She just places her head back to my chest and traces patterns in my chest hair. I place the phone back on the nightstand and sigh loudly. Frustration boils in my veins. Easing Maddy from my arms, I get up out of bed and pace the room.
She must feel the tension radiating off me because she gets up and stands next to me. “Reid, you can talk to me. I promise I’m not going push you, but Icanlisten to you. Don’t shut me out just because I made a mistake in the past.” The apologetic tone of her words is clear and unmistakable. My anger recedes a tiny bit and I huff out a deep breath.
I plop down in the chair at her desk and pull her down on to my lap. Wrapping my arms around her small waist, she looks into my eyes and kisses me on the cheek. “Talk, Reid. Please.”
I lay my head on her shoulder and let out a sigh. “She had a heart attack right before I left. I actually came straight here from the hospital.” I can’t hide the shame in my words. Whether I forgive her or not, I still left my dying mother in a hospital bed.
She places her hand over my heart and kisses my neck. Speaking softly, she says, “So what do you want to do? I only ask because you sound so unsure.” She’s trying her best to make it clear that she’s not pushing me. I love her for it.
Just as I’m about to answer her, Melanie knocks on the door. Maddy tells her to come in and it takes me a second to realize that she’s carrying the cordless house phone in her hand.
Maddy reaches for it and Mel shakes her head indicating that it’s not for her. “It’s for Reid, actually. It’s a girl.” A stunned look plasters my face as I take the phone from Mel who promptly exits the room to give me some privacy, though I have no freaking clue who would be calling me here.
“Hello?” I ease Maddy off my lap and stand from the chair; I begin pacing the room.
No one speaks initially. All I hear are sobs and a sharp intake of breath. “It’s Katie. Reid, it’s your mom. She…” Her quaking voice fades and I hear her trying to catch her breath through her sobs.
“What, Katie? What happened? Is she…?” I can’t even finish the words. In this instant, I know that I have to go home one more time.
She quickly recovers. “No, no, no! It’s not that. It’s just that she’s not doing well. They don’t think she’ll make it another month. They’re only giving her a few weeks at the most. I…I know you left in a rush and that you’re confused, but I…I just thought you’d want to know.” I hear her blow her nose away from the phone and then she’s back on the line. “We’re taking her home today and then the hospice nurse will come take care of her.”
Maddy eyes me apologetically, but she says nothing. I return my attention back to Katie. “Okay, I’ll try. I’m not making any promises, but I’ll try.” I hang up abruptly and stare over at Maddy who is now sitting on the end of the bed.
She cuts me off before a word even escapes past my lips. “Before you say anything, please, let me explain. I haven’t talked to Katie since that night in the hotel on Long Island. I promise.” Her eyes are begging me, pleading with me to believe her. She stands and takes my hands in hers. “I texted her my number in case she needed someone to talk to over break and she couldn’t get me on my cell for whatever reason.”
Remembering my earlier thoughts about trying to put the past behind us, I choose to accept her words. Folding my arms behind my head, I inhale deeply. Filling my lungs with as much oxygen as possible, I then let out a huge puff of breath. Now that my anger is gone, I turn around and look at the truly apologetic look on Maddy’s face. She’s too freaking cute.
“It’s okay. I’m not mad.” I proceed to relay to her the information that Katie just told me about my mom. Again, she doesn’t force my hand to make any decisions; she just lets me say what I have to say, and she just listens.
I’m defeated and exhausted from this new rush of emotions. “Can we just not talk about it anymore tonight? I just want to enjoy my last few hours with you.” She smiles warmly at me and kisses me with her full, sexy as fuck lips.
I can’t help but be amazed at how much has changed in one week. We’re back together; the baby is fine; I finally won’t be alone for Christmas. It seems like everything is on the upswing, except, well except if you take into account that my mom and I are out of time.
I think Maddy can sense that I can use a distraction, so she suggests that we order a movie from cable, curl up on the couch and make some popcorn. “Come on. I’ll even let you pick one of your boy movies,” she teases.
“That sounds perfect, baby.” We smile brightly at one another, happy to leave the past behind us, for now.
Stretching up on her toes to kiss me, she mumbles against my lips, “I’ll even let you slap my ass again.”
She starts walking away glancing coyly over her shoulder to make sure that I’m following her. I let her get a few steps away before I move to catch up. I smack her playfully and wrap my arm around her waist. Bending down to kiss her, I say, “I’ll make the popcorn and you just sit there and look pretty.”
A few hours later, we stand in the doorway saying our goodbyes and I notice tears beading in her eyes. I cup her cheek in my large palm and pull her face up to mine. Softly pressing my lips to hers, I say, “I’ll call you as soon as I get there. I love you, Maddy. Things will work out. I promise.”
She nods and the tear that was threating just moments ago, spills over her eyelid and down her cheek. I kiss it away and pull her close. She wraps her arms tightly around my back and inhales my scent. I kiss the top of her head and pull away.
When I get to the bottom of the stairs, I look up at her. “I love you, babe. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Love you too, Reid. Drive safely.” She places her fingers to her lips and blows me a kiss.
She stays on the porch until I’m in the truck and pulling out of the driveway. Staring into the darkness before me, I have never felt so hopeful. My mother aside, I have Maddy back and that’s all I could ever ask for.
