“I know she’s terminally ill,” Xavier said. “But she just seems so… full of life.”
“You’re not wrong about that,” True said, “but she puts on a brave front. I’ve been to a few dialysis treatments with her, and it’s a lot for someone to endure at her age. She’s made of tough stuff, but she’s not invincible.”
“Dialysis?” Xavier stammered. “I had no idea. She told us about being terminally ill with renal failure, but nothing more.” He let out a frustrated sound. “I should have asked more questions, but I didn’t want to push.”
“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” True said. “She’s actually doing the treatments at home now while she’s sleeping. I’ll let her tell you.”
She didn’t want to disclose too much of Hattie’s medical information. Although she didn’t think her friend would mind, True didn’t want to overstep. Clearly Hattie’s grandsons weren’t privy to her complete medical history. She knew that the treatments were a big reason her visits to Arizona had stopped, but it wasn’t her story to tell.
“I need to bring Hattie this water,” True said curtly.Although Xavier seemed to care about Hattie, True was still concerned about her friend’s welfare and the inheritance issue. Maybe it wasn’t any of her business, but someone had to put Hattie’s well-being first, considering her precarious health. Ownership of Yukon Cider and her own aspirations regarding Northern Exposure weren’t nearly as important.
Hattie slowly raised herself to a sitting position and reached for the cup of water True held out to her. Red attempted to assist her, but she waved him away.
“Stop. I’m not an invalid yet,” she barked.
“Take it easy,” Red said. “You’re pushing yourself too much.”
“Hush, Red. I’m fine.” Her tone matched his, and for a moment the resemblance was uncanny. True almost felt sorry for him—a baby cub going up against a lioness.
Red raised an eyebrow. “You just collapsed. That’s not fine in my book. Your doctor is on the way over here. Hopefully he can talk some sense into you.”
“I don’t need a doctor!” Hattie protested. “Now don’t get on my back, but I forgot to eat lunch earlier… and maybe breakfast too, if I’m being honest.”
“Mama!” Red said in a shocked voice. “Now you know that’s foolish for someone in your condition.”
“I don’t need a lecture,” she snapped, rolling her eyes.
“You need something,” Red said, frowning sternly.
Hattie reached out and patted her son’s cheek. “We’re all on borrowed time, son. I’m not going to obsess over it. It’s important for me to live my life. YOLO.”
If it weren’t so serious, True would have cackled. Lately, Hattie loved using the term YOLO. She said using the acronym made her feel young.
Hattie’s grandsons were watching the back-and-forth like they were viewing a tennis match between Venus andSerena. Anyone watching could sense the battle of wills between mother and son. Perhaps this was why Red had been so scarce these past few years. Or maybe they were at odds because he hadn’t been present as much as Hattie would have liked.
“Hattie, are you feeling any better?” True asked. She needed to hear it from her friend’s lips and break up the tension-filled dynamic between her and Red.
“I am. I’m so sorry that I ruined the reception,” Hattie said, darting a glance at her grandsons. Her expression was so pitiful, it caused a little hitch in the region of True’s heart.
“Are you kidding me?” Caleb asked, winking at her. “You spiced it up. Everyone will be talking about this event for weeks.”
Hattie let out a groan and placed her head in her hands. Her shoulders shook as she chuckled, immediately lifting the tension. Laughter broke out in the room. It was a relief to see Hattie so lighthearted after her episode.
Perhaps having her grandsons back in Moose Falls was medicine for Hattie’s soul.
Just being in the Stone brothers’ orbit allowed True to home in on their personalities. Caleb was the life of the party, always smiling and performing. Landon was the sensitive one, the worrywart. Xavier was the protector. She’d known it the moment he had scooped Hattie up in his arms and taken her to a quiet spot. True had noticed him holding his grandmother’s hand and the way he’d taken the lead in the situation. Even though she found herself going back and forth in her mind about Xavier’s intentions, she sensed that he was a protector at his core. And even though it frustrated her to be so uncertain about Xavier, she vowed to keep an open mind about him.
So, if Xavier was the caretaker, who watched over him?she wondered. When the world became too much to bear, who did Xavier turn to?
By the time Dr. Benjy Akash arrived at the venue, Hattie was back to her normal self. Or at least she seemed to be. She wasn’t complaining of a headache, but the doctor wanted to make sure Hattie hadn’t hit her head when she’d fallen. Everyone except Red and True left the room when he examined her. Xavier and his brothers headed back to the ballroom, where they circulated around the room and mingled with guests in Hattie’s absence.
Xavier met a lot of interesting people. The mayor, Fred Sparks. Restauranteurs. Fishermen. A local glassworks artist. One woman named Claudine told him that she’d been in a funk band with his mother. It made him wonder when the music had stopped for Daisy Stone. Other than crooning in the shower, his mother wasn’t much of a musician. He made a mental note to ask her about it. Like most things related to their past in Moose Falls, she’d kept it under wraps. Sometimes Xavier felt as if he barely knew the woman who’d raised him.
The respect everyone held for Hattie was awe-inspiring. Left and right he was answering questions about her condition and reassuring folks that his grandmother had recovered from her fainting spell. She was embedded in the fabric of Moose Falls, and an entire room full of people cared about her well-being. Although fans had been invested in his recovery after his TBI, Xavier knew it had been more about his viability as a quarterback than about him as a person.
Out of sight, out of mind.The league, his fans, and his former fiancée had all moved on once the pundits declaredthat his career was finished. Xavier Stone was nothing more than a footnote in NFL history.
For the second time this evening, Xavier realized that his father was heading straight toward him. He couldn’t very well dip out of the ballroom a second time. Xavier took a steadying breath. Throughout his NFL career, he’d always done the same thing before hitting the field as a way of mentally preparing himself for battle. Sadly, this was another form of combat.
