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The crowd cheered and shouted words of encouragement as the eight contestants in the pie eating contest vied neck and neck for the win. The contest came to a riveting conclusion as a cherub-faced girl, who couldn’t have been more than eighty pounds soaking wet, raised her hands in the air as the victor. Grown men three times her size clutched their stomachs, their faces showing queasiness. Cassidy and her mother laughed at the sight of all the contestants’ faces covered in blueberries and cream. Cassidy pulled out her camera and snapped a few pictures of the participants, wanting to capture the lighthearted moment on film.
“If I haven’t already told you, it means the world to us that you joined us today. I can’t think of the last time I’ve had so much fun,” her mother said, her face beaming with joy.
“You’ve said it a dozen times or more,” Cassidy answered with a chuckle. “But it never gets old hearing it. And if I haven’t already told you, I’m happy to be back.”
Her mother fanned herself with her hand. “If only it weren’t so hot today. This feels like August weather, not May.”
“Mom, are you sure you’re not thirsty? I could get you some iced tea or a bottled water at the concession stand.” She narrowed her eyes as she looked at her mother. Tiny beads of sweat were gathered on her forehead and her face looked washed-out.
Her mother waved her off. “No thanks, sweetheart. I’m feeling a little nauseous at the moment. I’m not sure if I could keep it down.”
The fact that her mother was experiencing nausea concerned her. Perhaps it was time they left the bazaar and headed home. Although it had been a fun day, it had also been a taxing one for her mother due to the hot weather and the extensive amount of walking she’d done around the fairgrounds. Cassidy glanced around the crowded area looking for her father, anxious to let him know her mother was feeling poorly.
“Why don’t we go sit down in the shade so you can rest a bit,” she suggested, reaching out to grasp her by the elbow. Her mother swayed a bit to one side, her body sagging as she crumpled to the ground.
“Mama!” Cassidy cried out, falling to her knees next to her mother in the dirt. Her mother was lying on her back, her head lolled to one side. The contents of her purse had scattered around her. A group of people crowded around, looking on and speaking in hushed tones. She reached for her mother’s wrist so she could take her pulse. Her concern grew when it registered as thready and weak. Panic seized hold of her as the gravity of the situation settled in.
“Somebody, please call an ambulance,” she cried out as fear gripped her by the throat.
A young woman bent down and began collecting the items that had fallen from her mother’s purse. Cassidy was gazing out into the crowd, praying that her father would return to the area. She saw Tate, with his broad shoulders and commanding air, surging forward through the crowd. He moved quickly toward where she knelt on the ground next to her mother, his gaze full of concern as he searched her face for answers.
“Cass, what happened?” he asked as he lowered himself to the ground.
She bit her lip in an effort to hold back the tide of tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Seeing her mother lying on the ground in such a vulnerable state brought a host of emotions to the surface. What she was feeling most was fear. Fear of losing her mother. Fear of not doing the right thing in this moment. Fear that she’d never get back the years she’d lost with her.
Her voice trembled as she explained, “We were standing here talking and she told me she felt nauseous. Then she fainted. I’m having a hard time rousing her.”
Tate reached down and gently swatted Maylene’s face, then loosened the silk scarf around her neck. A little bit of color seemed to be returning to her cheeks.
“Maylene!” The sound of her father’s voice rang out in the crowd. She watched as her father stepped past the crowd and scrambled to his wife’s side. He bent over beside her, reaching out and caressing the side of his wife’s face. The loving embrace brought tears to Cassidy’s eyes. It made her feel humble to witness the deep and abiding love of her parents. She found herself wishing for things she’d let go of a long time ago.
Her mother let out a low moan and her eyes fluttered open. For a moment she appeared disoriented. “Cassidy! What are you doing here?”
She reached out and patted her mother’s hand. “I’m here for the summer, Mama. Don’t you remember?” she asked, sniffing back tears, her heart pounding with fear.
“Of course I do, honey. I just feel so woozy. Everything is spinning.”
“Don’t try to get up, darling. Let’s wait for the medics to arrive,” her father advised.
The sound of an ambulance siren blared in the distance, sounding closer and closer by the second. Cassidy stood up and scanned the area, realizing that the paramedics wouldn’t be able to maneuver the ambulance through the small space between the enclosure and the concession stands.
She turned to Tate, pointing in the direction of the ambulance. “They won’t be able to get through here. It’s too narrow,” she fretted.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got her,” Tate said. “Just hold onto my neck, Maylene,” he advised just before bending down and lifting her up in his arms, treating her as if she were as fragile as a newborn babe. As he instructed, she wrapped her hands arou
nd his neck and held on for dear life.
“Move back everyone,” he instructed the crowd, who immediately fanned out to let him get by.
The ambulance pulled up outside the enclosure and two paramedics jumped out, quickly opening up the back of the ambulance when they saw Tate striding toward them with Maylene in his arms. Cassidy and her father were right at his heels.
“I’d like to ride with your mother,” her father said to Cassidy, his eyes full of uncertainty. “Could you please drive my car over to the hospital?” he asked, handing her his key fob, his hand visibly trembling.
Cassidy reached for the keys and nodded to her father. Still feeling a bit dazed, she murmured, “I’ll be there shortly.”
Her father squeezed her hand and climbed into the back of the ambulance, taking a seat next to his wife. As the paramedics closed the door, she could see him touching her mother’s face and placing a kiss on her cheek. The tender gesture cracked her heart wide open, making her feel more vulnerable than she’d allowed herself to feel in a very long time.
