Mae:Don’t keep beating yourself up over it. If it makes you feel any better, my fans have collectively agreed that they adore you. They love you, but I’d still have to ask for their blessing if you ever feel the urge to marry me.
A laugh gets caught in my throat when an unsolicited vision of Mae, dressed in white, walking down the aisle crosses my mind.
Mae:Sorry if that made you uncomfortable.
Wyatt:I know we talked about going slow, but say the word, and I’m yours… Mae fans' approval pending, of course.
Wyatt:Hey, I’ve got a practice to go watch. I do have a bye week coming up with a few days off. We should get coffee or go to dinner. Your pick.
Mae:I’ll let you know. *winking emoji
Chapter 20
Mae
Mae:Hey! It’s been a few days. Still feeling up for coffee?
Wyatt:It’s been two weeks, Mae! Yes, of course I’m still down for coffee!
Mae:I promise I didn't forget. I’ve been busy in the studio, actually! *star eye emoji
Mae:Only one more game, and you’re back on the squad! Are you excited?
Wyatt:Still a bye week and a HUGE game to get through before I can start competing for some minutes.
Wyatt:Let’s circle back to you being in the studio! That’s so great! I can’t wait to hear what you’ve been up to. Maybe you could play something for me next time we hang out? I’m coming up on two days off.
Mae:I’m visiting my mother in Louisiana. Maybe you could come down to Baton Rouge and I could show you around?
I swallow. Wyatt doesn’t really know the extent of my relationship with my mother, and I hope he never has to find out because I don’t know what he would think of it.
Wyatt:Sounds great to me. I could fly in tonight after practice? If that works for you.
Relief floods my system when he doesn’t ask any questions. It’s better this way. Taking a breath, I type out my response.
Mae:That would be amazing! I might not be back in the city until late, but we could meet for drinks?
Wyatt:I’m there!
Feeling my heart lighten at the thought of seeing Wyatt soon, I start the engine of my rental car. Here I am, in Baton Rouge, about to drive to see my mother for the first time in three whole years. The craziest part is that I’m doing it alone. I gave Dalton and Raleigh the weekend off, fully intending on hiding out in Nashville but my mother called, insisting she needed me.
Taking a shaky breath, I punch the ‘GO’ button on my Maps App, and put the car in drive. Chris and Linda know I’m here, at least. I suppose Wyatt does too now, but he doesn’t know the nature of the visit. He can never know the extent of this relationship; it would be too embarrassing.
Hitting the highway, the hour out of town drags. Even with a perfectly tailored playlist of Shania and Reba, my stomach knots as I try to prepare myself for seeing my mother. Which version will I get? The perfectly sweet woman who wears sundresses and occasionally pops pills, or the completely strung-out and violent skeleton who does nothing but curse at me?
As I turn on the road past the trailer park, I suck in a breath at the unkempt front lawn of the trailer I spent my childhood in. Tattered clothes hang from the line and tendrils of rope, that used to hold my swing, blow gently in the wind. Moss covers thefront stairs, making it slippery for me on the way up. My heart beats quicker with each step.
At the front door, I knock gently at first. Nothing happens. Daring to place my ear against the battered wood, I listen carefully for any sign of life inside. I bang on the door this time. “Mom,” I call. “I’m home. Can you let me in, please?” When I still hear nothing, I start to get a little bit uneasy. “Mom!” This time, I reach for the door knob and push. The door gives way easily.
The smell of rotting food and a lifetime of cigarettes overtakes me immediately. Holding my shirt up to my nose, I try to take in a few cleansing breaths as I orient myself. “Mom!” I continue to call as I wade through the garbage in the main living space.
Passing by the kitchen, I step toward the first bedroom. I try to keep my eyes forward and not on the dozens of items scattered about. It’s too much to handle right now. Upon entering, I find it to be just as messy as the rest of the trailer. How did I let it come to this? Dropping my hand to my side, I force myself to take it all in.
“Maebelle,” I hear from behind me. Startled, I turn on my heel. There’s a whooshing sound and then a sharp thwack on the back of my head as something heavy connects with it. Everything goes black as I crash to the floor.
***
The first thing I notice when I come to consciousness is that it’s dark in the trailer. Groaning, I push myself to sit. Sharp pain runs through my head, and my left shoulder throbs where I must have landed on it. Pulling my knees to my chest, I scoot to the nearest wall and evaluate the situation. Reaching up, I try the light switch even though I know the light won’t work. Still in the dark, I pat around me for my purse. It’s gone. My heart rateimmediately doubles as I push myself to stand and use the wall to aid me to the front door. The rental car is gone, too.
