by Roxie Ray
I glanced in the mirror as I drove away to find him standing exactly where I left him, staring at my car.
On the drive home, I found myself wishing he had said he wanted kids right away. We truly had gotten off on the wrong foot, and after our date, I wished it could be remedied. I could see myself growing quite fond of Maddox Kingston.
10
Maddox
The longer I stared at the laptop screen, the more confused I became. My official acceptance letter had come through. I’d opted for digital delivery, so when I logged in and found an email from the school in California, my stomach had churned.
But it wasn’t excitement. Two or three weeks ago it would’ve been. But today, it was a mixture of dread and anticipation. I still yearned for freedom and space to be myself without my family breathing down my neck.
This week had taught me that Beth was a factor I couldn’t ignore.
Not to mention my family. Did I really want to be so far away I couldn’t drop in for dinner or a chat with my cousins or uncles? Or Mom and Dad?
What about Hailey? She’d turn into a woman while I was gone. Did I want to miss that?
Beth and I texted back and forth all week since our date. I didn’t feel this much like a teenager with his first crush when I was a teenager with my first crush. She was funny and sweet and had a sarcastic edge that I loved, now that it wasn’t directed with hostility toward me. I never imagined I’d get butterflies from talking to a girl, but there I was.
This was what I’d wanted to avoid. As exciting as the prospect of California was, and as sure as the counselor had been when she’d told me verbally that I should attend, I hadn’t gotten an official acceptance yet. Now, it was right there in black and white.
I hit print and watched my small printer slowly spit out the paper. Then, I read it again. Nothing had changed. I was still accepted. I still had a big decision to make.
The best thing to do was to take it to my parents and lay it out. They were both smart. Dad got a taste of freedom when they moved. Granted, they just moved to Arizona, to my great-grandfather’s territory, but still, it was a change. If anyone could understand, it would be Dad.
I still had my truck and wanted to put it back in the barn anyway. Stuffing the letter in my pocket, I grabbed my keys and wallet and headed out the door. When I pulled onto Main, I glanced over toward the grocery store parking lot to spot Beth pushing a shopping cart out of the store. I only got a glimpse of her, but it was enough to see she looked frazzled. I hadn’t seen her since our date, so I turned around quickly in Stefan’s garage parking lot and pulled in as Beth and Tiffany stopped the cart by her car. It was piled to the brim.
“Ma’am,” I said through the open window in a deep and silly voice. “You look like you need a little assistance.”
She laughed tiredly and looked at Tiffany, who whined.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. She was normally cheery and vibrant.
“I’m not sure,” Beth said. “She’s been difficult all day. Maybe a growth spurt?” She shook her head.
Artemis growled when I studied her face and saw how exhausted she looked. “You take care of Tiffany, and I’ll unload the groceries into your trunk.”
She smiled in relief. “Thank you.”
Bethany pulled Tiffany out of the small child basket at the front of the cart and cradled her in her arms. Tiffany whined and put her head against Beth’s chest.
Her body temperature is high.
Just as Artemis tried to warn me, Bethany spoke. “She feels warm to me.” She shifted Tiffany in her arms and cradled her head so she could press her lips to Tiffany’s forehead. “Yes, she’s definitely got a fever.”
Tiffany let out a weird whine and burped. Immediately, Bethany reacted. “I know that sound.” She yelped and flipped Tiffany, so she faced out away from her body, toward the empty part of the parking lot. As soon as she did, Tiffany projectile vomited.
Whoa. If she’d been facing me or her mom still, we would’ve been drenched. That was an insane amount of liquid.
I’d always prided myself on having a stomach of steel, but I had to clench my jaw as Bethany held Tiffany and pulled her hair back so it wouldn’t get covered in vomit. I hovered uselessly and tried to think of what to do.
Inspiration struck, and I turned to the still-full shopping cart and yanked a bottle of water out of the package. When it seemed like Tiffany was done, I opened the bottle and handed it to Bethany. She helped Tiffany rinse her mouth out. “There’s a blanket and a change of clothes in my trunk,” she said. “Diaper bag.”
I grabbed the pink and brown bag and rifled through it until I found a blanket and a baggie with frilly girly clothes in it, then held them out while Bethany helped Tiffany change. “I’ll put the groceries in my truck and take them to your house if you want to take her to the clinic,” I suggested.
Bethany looked at me with such a look of appreciation that I patted myself on the back for offering. “That would be amazing,” she said. “I want to get her fever checked; she was fine in the store.” She leaned into the car and buckled Tiffany in, then tucked the blanket all around her. “She was a little whiny, so I checked her forehead a couple of times and she was not feverish. It spiked fast.”
“Go,” I urged.
She handed me her house key. “If you park in the back, the stairs from the office go straight up into the kitchen.” She looked at me with wide eyes, then threw her arms around me and squeezed me for a heart-stopping second. Without another word, she ran around her car and within seconds she backed away and drove out of the parking lot, leaving me and my truck and a cart full of food.
The urgent care clinic was on the outskirts of town, just in the county. Bethany’s house was on the way, but by the time I loaded the truck up and returned the cart, she was long gone. I ran back toward the grocery store and grabbed their water hose on the side of the building, then hurried back to the dark spot on the pavement. I sprayed it until I saw no more chunks. It wouldn’t have been fair to have left that for some unsuspecting cart-pusher to have to clean.
After putting up the hose, I drove to Beth’s house. This time I parked all the way around back as she said. Using the key, I took a few bags and let myself into the silent downstairs. Walking into her home without her there felt like I was crossing a line of privacy, but I was still fascinated by it. Her office was one big room with two doors off of it. I looked around at the simple decor. Mostly there were pictures of Tiffany and who I assumed to be Bethany’s parents. A man featured in many photos with Bethany. Probably Kyle.
Over the desk was a little wooden plaque thing that read “Mom--Boss--CEO.” Cute. I didn’t want to pry, but I had to find the stairs. The first door I opened was a simple bathroom. It was spotless. She was definitely a neater person than me.
The second door was the stairwell. Carpeted stairs muffled my footsteps. I opened the door at the top and stepped out into a bright, cheery kitchen. The island in the middle of the room was empty, so I put the bags there until I got them all in, then looked around.
Pale yellow walls made me think of Beth’s happy personality, but the antique kitchen tools hanging up were a surprise. I stepped closer to look at the objects adorning the walls and recognized an old corn shucker, vegetable peeler, and biscuit cutter, among other things. Some were rusty, some looked new. None appeared to be used, just decor. It wasn’t what I would’ve expected from Beth, but I liked it a lot.
A clock chimed somewhere deeper in the house, startling me.
Just get the groceries unloaded so we can go check on our girls.
Oh, they were our girls now? Plural? The idea of them both being mine somehow made me feel centered. Settled. I didn’t take the time to study those emotions, just ran back downstairs and got as many bags as I could carry. It still took me two more trips to get it all.
The cold stuff was easy to put away. Freezer or fridge, not a lot of options. Going through Beth’s cabinets to try to put the dry goods
away was a step too far, so I organized them by type on the island and put all the grocery bags into a single bag. I’d noticed she used grocery bags in her bathroom garbage can downstairs, so I didn’t trash them.
Once that was finished, staying at the house seemed again like going over my bounds, so I walked down the stairs, closing the doors behind me, then out to my truck. As I buckled my seatbelt, I heard the sound of a car on the road in front of Beth’s house.
Sure enough, about a minute later, Bethany’s car parked beside me. I jumped back out of the truck to help her, but there wasn’t much for me to do. She pulled a sleeping Tiffany out of the back seat. “That was fast,” I whispered.
“Miracle of miracles, there was nobody there when we went in.” She grinned at me, and I rushed around her to open the door. “The pharmacy is delivering the medicine. It was totally worth the extra five bucks,” she continued in a hushed tone as she walked through the office.
I went around her again and opened the door to the stairs. She smiled her thanks.
“What’s wrong with her?” I couldn’t get around her to open the top door, but I stayed close and when she got to it, I leaned in, pressing my front to her back.
Bethany’s scent invaded my senses. I breathed deeply while I had the chance.
Unfortunately, my nostrils were super-strong, thanks to Artemis, and I also inhaled a nose-load of leftover vomit stink. Choking back a cough, I pushed the door open and Bethany walked through.
“Double ear infection,” she said. “She got several her second year, and they talked about doing tubes, but then she stopped getting them. If the antibiotic shot doesn’t work, we may decide to do it this year.”
I furrowed my brow. “Tubes?”
She nodded her head toward the hallway. I inferred I would follow and stayed on her heels as she walked toward a bedroom. Through the open door, I saw a bed with a frilly pink and yellow bedspread. Tiffany’s room. “Yeah, they put literal tubes through their eardrums to drain. Some kids are born with tiny inner ear canals and the fluid won’t drain, then it gets infected. They say it’s really not a big deal.”
Once again, I darted forward and pulled down Tiffany’s bedspread. Beth laid her down and took off her shoes and socks. “I knew as soon as she made that weird whine-burp what was happening. She always pukes when she has ear infections.”
I watched in amazement as Bethany changed the sleeping child. She took off her shirt and walked out of the room. “Be right back,” she whispered.
She returned a minute later with a wet washcloth. Tiffany slept like a rock through the washcloth all over her upper body, but especially her face and neck area. Bethany lovingly cleaned the still-flushed girl.
Her internal temperature has decreased just since she arrived here.
I couldn’t tell Bethany that, of course. She still didn’t know about Artemis and wouldn’t for a long time. “She looks less flushed,” I said instead.
“I think she feels cooler. They gave her oral medicine there to help the fever and ear pain. And the antibiotic shot should work pretty quickly, too.” She pulled a nightgown with a unicorn on it over Tiffany’s head, then I turned my head while she took off her shorts under the nightgown. At the least, it was the polite thing to do.
Bethany stood and backed away from the bed. I turned my gaze back to Tiffany. She looked like a little angel lying there. I couldn’t believe how much affection I felt toward the little girl after we’d only spent a few minutes around each other. Bethany and I had texted back and forth so much I felt like I knew Tiffany better than I did.
“You’re always showing up to help me,” she murmured. Before I could reply, she pushed a button on a little device on the dresser, then walked out of Tiffany’s bedroom.
“What was that?” I asked.
She chuckled. “You don’t have much experience with kids?”
I shrugged. “My aunts and uncles are popping them out left and right but mostly I wait until they’re old enough to play with before I give them much attention.”
“It was a baby monitor.” She walked down the hall and turned right into the living room instead of left into the kitchen. “So, I guess you’re my new knight in shining armor?” She plopped down on the large, plush sofa and sighed.
The doorbell saved me from answering. I hadn’t sat down yet, so I held up a hand when she started to get back up. “I got it.”
It was just the prescription, so I signed for it and gave it to Beth.
She read the label. “She doesn’t get any until morning since she got that shot in the office.”
I looked around awkwardly. This room, besides lots of toys and a TV and entertainment center, had lots more pictures. “I looked at some of your pictures downstairs,” I said.
“Mostly family.” She watched me as I studied the photos in the room. It was more of the same people. Her parents, Tiffany, and Kyle. Oddly, I felt no jealousy or anger about all the photos of Tiffany’s father. Probably because of all Bethany had told me about him, she never mentioned or acted like she’d been in love with him.
When I looked back at her on the couch, she looked lost.
She needs comfort.
I sat beside her and held out my arms. “You look like you need a hug.”
Bethany signed and leaned over so I could wrap my arms around her. This time, I was able to inhale her scent without any gross interruptions. Artemis hummed his pleasure at having her so close.
I kept my arms around her until I felt the tension leave her body, then I gently slipped away. She looked nearly asleep. “Would it be okay if I stopped by tomorrow with lunch?”
“You don’t have to do that.” She rolled her head my way and smiled. “You’re so much sweeter than I expected you to be.”
My heart swelled in my chest and the need to take care of her grew stronger. “Don’t say that. You’ll ruin my reputation.”
I pressed a kiss to her forehead and inhaled her scent one more time, then stood. “I hope your night is calm,” I said and nodded toward the hall and Tiffany’s room. “And that she sleeps like a baby.”
Bethany stretched with her eyes screwed shut. Luckily. Otherwise, she would’ve seen my gaze fly to her chest as she stuck it out when she arched her back during the stretch. I walked toward the kitchen and the door to the downstairs office. “Have a good night,” I called before I tried to do more than kiss her forehead.
Artemis wasn’t helping. If he’d been in front of me, I was sure he would’ve been drooling, the perv. I told him to calm down as I jogged down the stairs, but he ignored me. Of course.
I left Bethany’s and went straight to my parents’ house. I needed my mom’s help. As soon as I pulled in, Dad met me at the door. “You okay?” he asked.
“How’d you know?”
He shrugged. “A father can tell. I heard you pull up. You rarely come over without texting us first.”
“I just need a recipe from Mom.” I jogged up the porch steps. “Tiffany is sick.”
A knowing look crossed his face. “Sure thing. She’s in her office.”
I walked through the house, the one my mother grew up in, and I’d come to think of as home. Was I able to move away from here? From my home? I’d only lived there for five years, but it felt like a lifetime.
“Mom?” I poked my head in her office door.
“Hey, sweetie. What are you doing here?” She walked around her desk and pulled me into a hug. “It’s nice to see you.”
“Thanks.” I squeezed her tight. “I need a recipe for your chicken soup. The kind you always made us when we were sick.”
She pulled back and looked at me in surprise. “Why do you need a chicken soup recipe?”
“Bethany’s little girl is sick. Ear infection. It would be nice to be able to take them soup tomorrow for lunch, and I want to make it myself.”
Mom’s face softened and she grinned. “You got it.”
I followed her to the kitchen where she took her wooden recipe box out
of the cabinet. In the back was a small pencil and a few index cards. She fingered through the cards until she found the one that she wanted.
She talked about making the soup as she wrote, giving me instructions about how often to stir, when to add spices, and that I could cheat by buying a premade rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and cut a lot off of my cooking time. “You always wanted my soup when you were sick,” she reminisced. “It was my Nana’s recipe. I’m glad you want to make it for Tiffany. It makes my mother’s heart proud.” She flicked away an imaginary tear as I laughed at her.
Once she finished writing the recipe, she held it up but didn’t give it to me. “Are you sure about this? Once you start down this path, there’s no turning back.”
I nodded. “I’m sure.”
She handed me the recipe and stood. I gave her another hug. “Thanks, Mom. I knew you’d help me.”
We made plans to have dinner the next week, and I headed toward my truck. Dad waited on the front porch.
“Once you fall in love with that little girl, there’s no escaping it,” Dad said.
The acceptance letter still in my pocket got heavier. More like having a brick in my pants instead of a piece of paper.
I considered how I reacted to Tiffany being sick, and I realized it was probably too late for me. My need to protect them was overcoming anything else. “See you later, Pop.”
Dad saluted me. And that was that.
11
Bethany
I slept with the baby monitor next to my ear and woke up every time I heard the slightest sound, but Tiffany slept through the night. She didn’t wake up until I sat sipping my second cup of coffee and scrolling through social media. “Mommy?” Her little voice sounded thin and reedy.
She shuffled into the kitchen. I held my arms open. “Come on, sweet cheeks.”
My little monkey definitely still didn’t feel good, because normally she would’ve bounded into my arms with a squeal. Instead, she walked slowly and held her arms up for me to lift her. “Poor Doodle,” I crooned. “How are you feeling?”
