“Uh-huh.”I grin behind my glass.
“So is our Ellison the reason for the smiles?”
“She’smyEllison, and maybe.”I wink, and the smile that she gifts me lights up the room.
“Really?”
I nod.“Yeah, we talked over the weekend.There were many things left unsaid and a lot of miscommunication, but we’re working through it.I’ve been going to see her every day.”
“What do you mean,going to see her?”
“Sunday morning, I dropped off breakfast for her and her sisters.”I also dropped off a bag for Kinzie, but I don’t tell my mom.“Monday, after your treatment, while you were sleeping, I dropped off a large bag of peanut M&Ms.Tuesday, I took her a small bouquet and had one of the staff members deliver them to her.”
“What about yesterday?”Mom asks, fully invested.
“Yesterday, I spent the day with you, so I sent her a few messages throughout the day to let her know I was thinking about her.”
“And today?”
“Today, I’m going to head over to the Manor and walk her home from work.I saw her walking up the path from the house to the Manor as I was leaving this morning.”
“Aww, I raised you right.You need to take her out on a proper date.”
“I know.”I nod.“I’m working on it.I need to convince her to go out with me first.”
“After all that?Pfft.”Mom waves her hands in the air.“You’ve got this.She won’t be able to say no.”
I chuckle.“I hope so.There’s so much I would do differently if I knew then what I know now,” I confess.
“Cope, you can’t dwell on that.In life, we all have regrets, wishes for things that could be different.All we can do is keep looking forward and taking each curve in the road as it appears.”
“How’d you get so smart?”I ask her.
She leans her head against the back of the couch and closes her eyes.“Not any smarter than you, my son.Just traveled those roads a little more than you have,” she says, her voice growing weaker.
“Can I get you anything?”
“No.I’m just going to rest.Go see Ellie.”
“I’m good right here for now.Macie and the kids are going to come by after school,” I tell her.
“It will be good to see them.Next week is their last week before summer break, right?”she asks, her voice growing softer.
“Yeah, they’ll be home for the summer.”The answer is barely out of my mouth, and she’s sound asleep.
Quietly, I stand and make my way outside, softly closing the door behind me.I take a seat on the top step, lean my head against the porch railing, and close my eyes.I hate to see Mom suffering like this.What I hate even more is that I spent so much time away.
I fucked up the day I came home and ran away with my tail between my legs, all because Ellison wasn’t crying over me.I was young and stupid, and I let my wounded pride get in the way of the plans.I said four years, just like Chandler, and then I’d be home.I’ve wasted so much time, and now, here I am, finally home, and my mom is sick.I don’t know if this disease is going to take her from us, and fuck, I regret every moment I should have been here.
I hear a truck pull into the driveway, and I know it’s Chandler.He was supposed to stop by today so he and I could talk about me starting back with the family business.James Farrier Services is the company my dad started with his dad years and years ago.When our dad passed away from a tragic horse accident, Mom kept the business going.She hired a local man, Greg, to work for us until Chandler came home and took over.Greg retired about four years later, and my big brother has been carrying the business on his own.
I want to help.
I don’t open my eyes until I hear his boot hit the top step.My brother takes a seat next to me.“How’s she doing?”
“Tired, but hanging in there.”
“Fuck, Cope, it’s hard to see her like this,” he rasps.
