“You don’t know that.”
His words aren’t mean, just a statement of fact.I think about my reply before I speak again.“You’re right, Copeland.I don’t know that.Life is short and precious.This disease is terrible and has taken far too many, far too soon.All you can do is be there.Let her know that no matter what she needs, you’re there.That might mean time alone to process.That might be taking her to appointments or holding her hair back from the drugs making her sick.We won’t know what she needs until she tells us.”I pause, letting him process my words.“She knows that you, Chandler, and Macie are there for her.Be her strength when she needs it, be her shoulder, and say everything you’ve ever meant to say but haven’t.Tomorrow isn’t promised for any of us.”
“Thanks, Ells,” he says, leaning his shoulder into mine.
Tingles race up my arm, and my belly flips at the connection after all this time.How can this man still make me breathless and cause that type of reaction from me after all our time apart?
“Have you eaten?”
“Yeah, dinner was great.”
I nod.“I took some to your mom.”
“Thank you for that.”
“Of course.”I stand and dust off my pants from the step.“My sisters and I, we’re here for all of you.Just let us know what you need.”
Copeland peers up at me, his sad eyes boring into mine.“Even me?”
Damn.I swallow hard past the lump forming in my throat.“All of you.”With that, I start to walk away, but the feel of his hand wrapping around my wrist stops me.I turn to look at him.He’s now standing, and there’s a look in his eyes that I can’t name.My wrist burns from his touch, and my heart weeps from missing him.
“Thank you, Ells.”
I nod, and with a sad smile, he releases me, and I turn and walk away.
Eight
Copeland
“Can I get you anything?”I ask Mom.She’s currently set up on the couch, resting.She had her drains removed today from her lymph node removal, which was last Monday.After our first meeting with the oncologist, things started moving quickly.Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful that they have.I’m thrilled that she’s getting the care that she is, but damn, it’s a lot to process.
“No.I’m fine,” she says.“Why don’t you go out.Call your friends, see what they’re up to.Have you even seen them since you’ve been home?”
“Not yet, but you’re my priority.I’m not leaving you here alone,” I tell her, just as there’s a knock at the door.“Expecting someone?”I ask her.
“As a matter of fact, I am.A few of the ladies from my quilting group are stopping by for a visit.”She seems to sit up a little straighter, only slightly wincing from the pain.She’s supposed to keep taking it easy.
“That’s great,” I say, as I move toward the door to let them in.As soon as I pull it open, they rush past me and toward my mom.All three of them are carrying a gift bag or food.“Nice to see you, ladies.”I chuckle, closing the door.
“You can go,” Betty tells me.“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
“She’ll be fine,” Wanda adds.“We’ve got this.Go do what a handsome young man your age should do on a Friday night.”She waves her hand in the air.
“I’m afraid to ask what you think that might be,” I say, biting my cheek to hold in my laughter.If only they knew how boring my life has been over the years.
“Oh, we know.”Edith waggles her eyebrows at me.“We were your age once upon a time.”
“I was just telling Copeland he needs to go catch up with his friends.He’s been home over a month and has yet to spend any time with them,” Mom tells her friends.
She’s right.I’ve kept in touch with Bowen, Macklin, and Dixon over the years, but things have never been the same since I came home from boot camp for a surprise visit.That’s not something I need to be thinking about right now.Mom… that’s where my focus needs to be.
“Mom, you just had surgery.”
“Last week,” she says, shaking her head, a soft smile pulling at her lips.“I have my friends here with me.You should go see yours.”
“We’ll stay until you get home,” Edith assures me.
I hesitate, but the four of them start chatting, and my mom is smiling, enjoying her time with her friends.I guess it’s time for me to see mine.They’ll understand why it’s taken me so long to come and see them.Magnolia Ridge is a small town, and from all the casseroles and phone calls, I know that word of Mom’s illness has spread.
