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Maddy stirred and sipped. “Is he okay?” Their eyes met, and Maddy knew she’d get the truth. No one had anything to hide anyway.
“I think so,” Momma said. “The texts we did last week all came back clear. Normal.”
Maddy’s eyebrows shot up. Her adrenaline spiked. “You had tests done last week?”
“Yes,” Momma said, oh-so matter-of-factly.
“Did you tell anyone?”
“David knew,” Momma said. “He had to go in with your dad, because Daddy couldn’t really hear what was going on, and I was doing an exam of my own.”
“What kind of exam?”
“They were checking the pins in my hip.” Momma too sipped her hot coffee, which gave Maddy some time to organize her thoughts.
“And?” she asked. “How is the hip healing?”
Momma had already given her the abbreviated version of her health, but Maddy suspected both she and Daddy were worse off than they’d ever let anyone see. That was simply the Cruise way. Now, she simply waved her hand as if to say,The hip is fine, Maddy. Don’t concern yourself with it.
Nothing’s wrong until people were told. If Momma didn’t tell Maddy about the tests they’d had done, then the results couldn’t be bad.
“You should’ve told me,” she said.
“Why?” Momma asked. “You’re so busy on that ranch, and everything came back normal.”
“Why’d you go get the tests then?” she asked.
Momma gave her a sharp look, and Maddy found her to be eagle-like in that moment. Thick eyebrows drawn down over eyes that missed nothing. Literally nothing.
“You must’ve thought something was wrong,” Maddy continued.
“No.” Momma shook her head. “You’re making things up now.”
Maddy sighed. “Maybe I am, Momma.”
Momma blinked and lifted her coffee to her lips. Maddy wasn’t wearing either of her speakers today. The one was still broken, and it was easier to go without than to have the terrible echo and ringing in her ear from only using one speaker.
She honestly liked talking to her mother better when she couldn’t hear her humming and sighing. She hid her lips behind her mug, but Maddy could still read her expression.
“I like the ranch, Momma.” Maddy had admitted it to herself, but she hadn’t told anyone else she was thinking about staying there. The idea sounded completely unrealistic and so unlike her when she thought about saying it out loud.
She simply hadn’t said it out loud yet.
“I’m glad.” Momma gave her a smile. “How’s Kyle?”
“Busy,” Maddy said with a sigh. She didn’t like how her voice sounds so far away inside her head. She wasn’t even sure she could hear her own voice right now, but she could imagine it. “I honestly don’t see him as much as I’d like.”
“You’re still together, though, right?” Momma asked.
“Yes.” Maddy didn’t want to break-up with him.
“Then why are you wearing that storm on your face?” Momma set her coffee down and reached for the berries.
“I don’t know,” Maddy said. She’d made the drive from Chestnut Springs to Dripping Springs in silence, only her and Brewster breathing in and out. No radio. No podcasts. Just her and her thoughts.
“Sure you do,” Momma said. She never had accepted “I don’t know” as an answer.
Maddy gave her a sharp look. “I’m still trying to figure out how to say it.”
