by Maisy Morgan
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Matthew assured her, and his face was almost in a smile.
Mary touched Preston’s shoulder. “Once you have this taken care of, I probably should be getting back to the shop.”
Preston nodded, and within the hour, he had all the paperwork handled. Matthew left with Lilly, and Lilly didn’t say another word to Mary while at the station. “What happened while I was gone?” Preston asked Mary as they headed out to the parking lot so that he could drive her back to the shop.
“I told Matthew that until this is straightened out, I didn’t want him around Tripp,” Mary said. “Do you think I was wrong to say that?”
“No,” Preston said as they got in the car. “I think Paul jumped the gun on the arrest, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t somewhat merited. He had some information on Matthew I didn’t know about—pulled his records. It doesn’t look great for Matthew.”
Mary sighed. She sat mostly in silence as he drove her back to the sweets shop. Preston had to head back to the station, though he did pause to get a sample of some of the chocolate raspberry tart before leaving. She and Ella May busied themselves with cleaning the shop that morning and helping the occasional customer that trickled in.
About an hour after Preston left and Mary had texted Tripp as promised, Lilly suddenly came walking through the door. She had on a rather somber expression, and she dragged her feet. Her eyes darted around wildly for a moment at the colorful walls, and while it was clear she was trying to suppress it out of spite, she smiled. “Lilly?” Mary hurried around the counter over to her, not having expected to hear from her with the way she had stormed off at the station.
“Hey, Mom,” Lilly said, glancing towards all the colorful frogs and lily pads on the walls with great amusement. “So, this is Lily Pad Sweets, huh?”
“It is,” Mary said. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Yeah, well, Matthew told me I overreacted,” Lilly said, looking embarrassed by this fact. “Stuck me in an Uber as soon as we got back to the set and sent me this way.”
Mary smiled. “He’s a good man, Lilly.”
“I know,” Lilly said. “I just wish you were more confident in that.”
“I don’t know him, Lilly,” Mary said. “And my priority is Tripp. I don’t believe Matthew did this, but I don’t know that he didn’t.”
“I know, and that’s what Matthew was saying,” Lilly said. “I guess I just have this fantasy built up in my head—about what it was going to be like when Matthew and I got here to Georgia. I love Matthew, Mom. He’s so good for me. And, I really want to spend time getting to know Tripp.”
“You can still do that,” Mary said.
“I want Matthew to get to know Tripp too,” Lilly said.
“He will,” Mary said. “There’s not a time stamp on this, Lilly.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said. “It’s just that I’ve messed up Tripp’s life so much. I was hoping we could make things right.”
“You’re going to be here for a while, aren’t you?” Mary asked.
“Yeah, through the summer at the very least,” Lilly said. “Possibly even longer.”
“Then stop worrying,” Mary said. “I have to have faith that everything is going to work out for the best. Come sit down for a minute. I’ll get you something sweet to eat.”
Lilly smiled and sat herself down at one of the pink tables. Mary introduced her to Ella May, who in a flash was suddenly talking to Lilly like she was her own granddaughter, calling her “baby girl” when she addressed her. Ella May was like that—Mary had never been to the woman’s home, but she imagined it was constantly full of grandchildren and stray animals she couldn’t say no to.
While Lilly was enjoying one of the chocolate raspberry tarts, Mary noticed her staring up at the wall behind the counter. Her face went white. Mary turned to see the picture of Lilly, Aaron, and baby Tripp—the day Tripp had been born. “Tripp hung that up,” Mary said.
“Really?” Lilly asked. “When?”
“Grand opening,” Mary said.
“He… hung up a picture of his dad and me together?” Lilly questioned.
“Yeah, he did,” Mary spoke softly. “He’s really been looking forward to you being here, you know.”
Lilly looked around and noticed the sign that had Lily Pad Sweets written proudly. “I hope he doesn’t think I’m a big disappointment,” Lilly said sadly. She stood up slowly. “I’m exhausted, Mom. I thought about sticking around the sweets shop until Tripp got out of school, but after last night… I think I need to go back to the hotel and sleep.”
“Will you promise to call me if you need anything?” Mary questioned, and Lilly promised before heading out the door, her head hanging low.
Chapter Thirteen
The front door to the shop opened, and Mary glanced up from where she had been wiping down the counter to see Tripp. She smiled at him, ready to ask him how his day was, but the foul look on his face told her that she would not be met with a very positive answer. He practically threw his backpack into one of the pink chairs, and he flopped down with a cross expression. “Oh boy,” Ella May said. “Today at school must have been a doozy.”
Tripp glanced her way; he knew better than to be short with Ella May. He would sometimes push Mary’s buttons, but Ella May wouldn’t put up with his attitude for even a second. “Yeah, rough day,” he said, jerking a book out of his bag to get going on some math homework.
“Everything okay, Tripp?” Mary asked. “You got my messages today, right?”
“Yeah, glad Matthew is out of jail,” Tripp grumbled, scribbling fiercely in his math workbook. “Today wasn’t so bad until drama class is all.”
“Oh, did you and Hannah have to rehearse your scene in front of the class or something?” Mary asked, coming around the counter. She sat herself down at the table across from him, and Ella May slipped back behind the counter as a customer entered.
“No,” Tripp said. “Hannah missed drama class again today. We’ve hardly practiced our scene at all. And our drama director had everyone running lines with their scene partners.”
“You didn’t have anyone to practice lines with, huh?” Mary asked, and by the wicked glare she received, she knew it was a lot worse than that.
“Oh, I had someone, all right,” he hissed. “Our teacher.” Mary couldn’t help herself. She laughed, letting out a slight snort. “It’s not funny!” he roared, and she hushed him as the customer Ella May was helping glanced back at them.
“I know, I know,” Mary said. “Hannah missed school again today? She’s been doing that a lot lately.”
“I think she’s calling her mom to come get her before drama,” Tripp said bitterly. “Probably telling her she’s got a stomach ache or something because it’s only happening on days when we’re supposed to be working on our showcase scenes.”
“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence, Tripp,” Mary said, standing up. “I’m sorry you got embarrassed at school today. Finish your homework. I’ve got to run out for a second.” She gave Ella May a nod on her way out the door.
Mary knew that Hannah had missed at least three afternoons of school in the past couple of weeks, and despite Tripp believing it had something to do with him, Mary was certain Hannah wasn’t nearly as bothered by the Titanic scene as Tripp was. If Tripp was still dragging himself to drama every afternoon, Mary imagined that Hannah would be able to handle it, too.
No, something else was going on. She walked down the street towards Cindy’s antique shop, heading inside expecting to see Cindy so that she could talk to her about what was really going on with Hannah. She wanted to check in and make sure everything was okay.
Mary rounded the corner towards the counter in the shop where she saw a young man she had never seen before working the register. “Hey, welcome,” he said casually.
Mary stared for a moment. “Is Cindy not here today?” she asked.
“Oh, no, she had to take Hannah to the doctor,” h
e said. “My name’s Andrew. I’m Cindy’s cousin. Just watching the shop for her today. I’m guessing you know Cindy?”
“Yes, I run the sweets shop down the street,” Mary said.
“Oh, so you’re where that awesome fudge has been coming from,” Andrew said, smiling wildly. “Cindy has been buying me some. Your sweets are awesome.”
“Thanks,” Mary said. “Have you ever worked the shop before?”
“Only a handful of times,” Andrew said. “Cindy just needed a favor today.”
“Is everything okay with Hannah?” Mary asked.
Andrew kept on a smile, but she could tell he was hesitating. “She’s good. Just a checkup.”
Mary stared at him for another moment. “Are you sure?”
“I mean, pretty sure,” Andrew said. “Is there anything I can help you with? Did you need Cindy for something, or are you just shopping around for something in particular?”
“I was just coming to check in on Cindy and Hannah,” Mary said, sighing. “Tell her I stopped by.”
“Will do,” Andrew said.
Mary slipped back out of the antique shop, starting to feel a bit worried now. By the time she made it back to her shop, it was nearly closing time. Ella May was already starting up on closing duties, and Tripp had put away his homework to help. Once the shop was closed up, she snagged a to-go box, which she filled with some fudge and chocolate raspberry tarts from the shop, and she and Tripp bid Ella May farewell before driving home. On the way, Tripp pulled out his scene and began reading lines to himself. “Don’t even know why I’m studying this stupid thing,” he grumbled. “Not like Hannah and I are ever going to actually practice it.”
“You should probably go to bed early tonight,” Mary suggested, and Tripp looked at her questioningly. “Have you forgotten already? Tomorrow night is your junior varsity game. Your mom is going to be coming to it.” She wanted to make sure he was well-rested and ready for the game. She knew just how important it would be for them.
Tripp smiled slightly. “Oh, yeah, I forgot about that.”
“When we get to the house, go inside and wash up. I’m going to run by Cindy and Hannah’s for a bit to bring by that dessert box,” Mary said. They pulled into the driveway, and she sent Tripp inside. She told him to preset the oven for her and that she’d be home in just a moment to get going on dinner. Tripp snagged his backpack and script and hurried inside, and Mary pulled back out of the driveway.
Cindy and Hannah only lived a few minutes down the road, and she was glad to see Cindy’s car in the driveway. She put the box of fudge and tarts in the crook of her arm and headed up to the front door, ringing the doorbell. She didn’t have to wait long until she could hear scuffling on the other side of the door, and Cindy flung the door open—her face pale, and her eyes puffy. “Oh, Mary!” she exclaimed.
Mary frowned, feeling as though she had just been hit by a brick in the gut. Something was obviously wrong. “Cindy… I brought some goodies by… Cindy, what’s wrong?”
Cindy stepped outside, closing the front door behind her. She wiped her face several times. “Nothing… Hannah’s upstairs asleep…”
“I heard you had a follow up with the doctor today,” Mary said. She would spare the details of how she knew and save that story for later. Right now, she wanted to know exactly how the appointment went, even though she already knew the answer just by looking at Cindy.
“Yes,” Cindy said. She wiped her eyes again.
“Cindy?”
Cindy exhaled heavily. “It’s not good, Mary. My baby girl—she has cancer.”
Mary felt as though the breath was being pulled from her lungs. “Cancer? What… what kind of cancer does she have? How bad is it?”
“It’s just in her hips right now. We’re going to have to start treatment soon. Her kidneys have been affected by it, and they’re shutting down,” Cindy explained, wiping her eyes again. “Mary, I’m losing my mind right now.”
Mary put the dessert down on the rocking chair on the patio, and she threw her arms around Cindy. “Listen to me; I’m right here, do you understand? Anything you need. Anything at all, you let us know. I can’t imagine…”
“They say we caught it early,” Cindy reported hopefully, letting Mary hold her for a moment before pulling back and wiping her eyes again. Cindy reached around to her back pocket, pulling out her cellphone that had evidently vibrated. She checked it. “Hannah’s up… she knows you’re here… asking to talk to you…”
“I can talk to her,” Mary said, surprised that Hannah would want to see anyone at a time like this, but she felt glad to see her nonetheless.
They went inside; Cindy placed the desserts in the fridge, and they headed to Hannah’s room. She was sitting up in bed, looking very pale from fright, but she smiled when she saw Mary. “Hey, Ms. Hopkins,” she said.
Mary smiled at her. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“So, Mom told you?” Hannah asked, her mother appearing in the doorway behind Mary.
“She told me,” Mary answered quietly. “Are you okay?”
“A little scared,” Hannah said. “But the doctor said they caught it really quick, so that’s good… I’m scared about doing treatment. I guess that’s going to start really soon. I don’t know what to expect. Um… you just found out?”
“Yes, I just found out,” Mary assured her.
“So, Tripp doesn’t know yet?” Hannah asked.
“No, he doesn’t,” Mary replied confidently.
Hannah fiddled with her fingers. “I think he and Draco should know. I don’t want to be there when you tell him, though.”
“I understand, sweetie,” Mary agreed.
“I’m not going to be at school tomorrow,” Hannah said. “We have to be back up in Atlanta tomorrow at the Children’s Hospital.”
“Hannah’s got a follow-up tomorrow,” Cindy said. “We’ll be meeting her physician team that specializes in children’s cancer treatment.”
“I’m going to be praying for you both tomorrow,” Mary said. “Praying for the doctors, too.”
“Thank you,” Hannah said.
“I brought some sweets by,” Mary said, and Hannah smiled.
“Can I have some now, Mom?” Hannah asked hopefully.
“Sure, you can,” Cindy said with a smile.
“That white chocolate swirl fudge you like is in there, and I added a new dessert I’ve been making, a chocolate raspberry tart,” Mary said, and Hannah grinned.
“Awesome,” Hannah said. “Thanks, Ms. Hopkins.”
“I’ll fix you a fresh batch tomorrow and have it waiting for you at the house when you get home from the hospital,” Mary promised, and Hannah thanked her again. She reached down and held both of Hannah’s hands between her own, giving a reassuring squeeze.
They talked for a few more minutes, but it was clear both Cindy and Hannah were exhausted. Mary and Cindy headed out the front door. “Thanks for stopping by,” Cindy said.
“I’ll tell Tripp,” Mary said. “I might wait until tomorrow evening, though. After his game.”
“That’s a good idea,” Cindy said. “Hannah would hate it if he wasn’t doing his best because of what’s going on.”
“I hate this,” Mary said. “I really do, Cindy.”
“I know,” Cindy said. “We’ve just got to take it one step at a time, I suppose. We’ll see what the doctors have to say tomorrow. I’m worried, of course, but I’m trying not to let myself get too worked up too soon. The doctors kept telling me we caught it early—that it was a good thing. So, I suppose I have to just keep that in mind. God’s got His hand in this, I know.”
“I know he does,” Mary said and gave Cindy one last hug, both of them so grateful for their friendship. “Go get that girl some of that fudge, would you?”
“You know I will,” Cindy said with a smile. “Thank you.” Cindy headed inside, and Mary headed out to her car.
She wasn’t sure if she should wait to tell Tripp or not, but she knew he
already had a lot going on. Poor kid. First everything with his mom, Donnie, and Matthew, and now this. He had been talking about his mom coming to see him play for the first time all weekend, so she didn’t want him to be distracted. She elected that she would indeed wait until after the game to tell him so that he could enjoy that moment. When she arrived back at the house, she put on a brave face and worked to get dinner ready for the two of them.
Chapter Fourteen
The next day, Mary felt on edge. She had to drag herself out of bed that next morning, and she was nearly late getting Tripp to school. Mary could hardly talk to Ella May at the shop that morning either. She couldn’t stop thinking about Hannah and worrying about her. She wanted to go ahead and tell Tripp, but she had elected to wait until after the game. She didn’t want to worry him so soon—he was already in his head about the game that evening and about his mom coming to watch him play for the first time.
“Are you all right, dear?” Ella May asked as she cleaned up the counter in preparation for early customers. It seemed she could always notice when something was off, or Mary’s mind was somewhere else.
“Just had a rough evening last night,” she said, and as though he sensed her poor mood that morning, Preston arrived—walking through the door with a slight smile on his face.
“Morning, Mary,” he said, and he seemed to be able to read her mood all at once. “What’s wrong?” She could tell that he cared and only meant well.
She tried to act like it was nothing, but Preston knew better. He dragged her outside the shop to talk privately, and he put his arms around her as they stood out in front of the shop. “Tell me what’s going on?” he asked, insisting. “What happened, Mary?”
Mary pulled back and wiped a single tear that had started to form. “I went to see Cindy and Hannah last night. Hannah has been missing a lot of school lately, and I was worried about them. Come to find out, well… Hannah, she’s got cancer, Preston.” She was too late to wipe away another tear that made its way down her face.
There was a long pause as Preston allowed this bit of information to sink in. His shoulders slumped. He opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again without uttering a single word. Then, he exhaled—coughing to hide tears that had started to fall. “No,” he said. “She doesn’t… are they sure?”
