“It solves three problems at once,” I continue. “Temporary access for vendors. Keeps the square active. Gives the town time to breathe while the structural work gets done properly.”
Jude nods. “Mayor Brighton was practically glowing.”
“He was,” Ryker agrees. “Which is not something I say lightly.”
Norah smiles at that, her chin tucked into the blanket. She looks tired. Not the brittle kind. The good kind. The kind that comes from being fully present for something that mattered.
“Jude,” Ryker says casually, “you wanted to ask something.”
Jude blinks, clearly surprised to be put on the spot. “I did?”
Ryker lifts his brows, pointed.
“Oh,” Jude says. He turns his head toward me. “How’s your mother?”
The question hits harder than I expect.
I had stepped away from the market earlier, heart racing, hands shaking as I rushed to the hospital after the call. I hadn’t mentioned it when I returned.
I didn’t want to bring that energy back into the square. Didn’t want to pull Norah away from her stall, from the joy on her face when people bought her flowers.
“She’s fine,” I say carefully. “Stable. The flare was mild.”
Norah’s eyes are on me immediately. Soft. Encouraging. She doesn’t push. She simply waits.
I breathe out slowly.
“There’s something I should have told you both sooner,” I say, voice quieter now. “My mother has MS.”
The words sit heavy in the room once they’re out.
Jude’s face shifts first, concern settling in without pity. “I’m so sorry to hear that. That’s so scary.”
“It is, but we’re handling everything as best as we can.”
Ryker nods once. “My aunt had it.”
I look at him sharply. “She did?”
“Yeah,” he says. “Diagnosed in her forties. Mobility issues, mostly. Fatigue. She lived with us for a few years when things got harder.”
Something in my chest loosens at that. “How did your family handle care?”
“Badly at first,” he admits. “Then better. We learned.”
Jude leans forward, forearms resting on his knees. “Is she getting support?”
“Yes,” I say. “Medication. Physical therapy. I go when I can.” The words tumble out faster now, the dam finally cracking. “I should be there more. I should have told you earlier. Should have been honest instead of compartmentalizing everything like it would just disappear if I ignored it long enough.”
Norah shifts closer without a word, her foot brushing my knee.
“I didn’t want to bring it into this,” I continue. “Into her heat. Into something that already felt overwhelming. But it’s been sitting in my chest for years. Every decision I make. Every place I choose to be.”
Jude’s voice is gentle. “That’s a lot to carry alone.”
“It is,” I admit.
Ryker studies me. “You don’t have to do that here. I like to think that we’re kind of becoming friends, aren’t we?”
