AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mom looks up and smiles at me. “Come look, we’re watching a video of all Abby’s babies.”
Haddie smiles, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. Her pale blue eyes sparkle as she looks up at me. The gap between her two front teeth is unique, but fucking works on her. She’s the only redhead I know who ever has a real tan, not the spray shit. Haddie is fucking gorgeous—how have I never noticed before? Oh, I know why—because she’s my best friend’s baby sister and too fucking young.
I mentally brush those thoughts away and sit down on my mom’s other side. I watch the video and it’s all of the babies of the Carmichael family. They’re all running around the backyard. The kids are running around in circles, chasing each other with various sizes of water guns.
Haddie comes into view with a giant super soaker, chasing the kids around, spraying them. I notice Mom’s hands trembling. Haddie grabs the iPad from her. “Madison, are you okay?”
She looks at me with tears starting to slide down her gaunt grey cheeks. “I’m nev-never going to be a g-grandma.” Mom asks Haddie to help her back to the bedroom.
“I’m so sorry, Madison. I didn’t mean to upset you,” she says as she wraps her arm around my Mom’s waist.
“No, no, honey. It’s not your fault. I guess I just didn’t want to think about that stuff before.” I follow behind them as they walk through the house to the hallway where my parents’ bedroom sits. Haddie gets Mom settled in bed.
I move to the bed and sit down next to her hip and grab her hand in mine. “Come on, Mom you know me. I’m too much of a Casanova to have babies.” I give her my cockiest smirk.
She gives me a watery laugh. “Oh honey, you just haven’t met the right woman yet, but you will.”
Mom falls asleep pretty fast, which is the norm these days. Haddie turns on a little monitor and shows me what looks like a walkie talkie. “I’ll be able to hear her if she gets up.”
We walk silently side by side back to the family room. Before I sit down, Haddie grabs my forearm. “I didn’t mean to upset your mom. I just thought it might make her smile.”
“It’s seriously okay. She knows you didn’t mean any harm.” I can see her eyes are starting to fill with unshed tears. Without a second thought I pull her into my arms. The moment she wraps her arms around my waist things just feel right. Instead of thinking about it, I choose to ignore it.
I ignore the fact that her hair smells like raspberries or that her willowy body fits perfectly against mine. Instead I let her go. “Are you hungry?” She nods, so I lead her to the kitchen and have her sit at the breakfast bar. “How’s school? You’re going for nursing, right?”
Haddie’s eyes widen—I’m sure out of surprise because I’m a selfish dick. “Um…yeah. I only have six months left. Hospice is what I want to do.”
“You’ll make a good nurse. You take really good care of my mom.”
I make us a couple of sandwiches and grab a bag of chips, setting it in between us. We eat quietly side by side. When we finish, I clean up the mess and she pulls out her textbooks and notebook. I leave her as she starts scribbling stuff on her pad of paper.
I’m a ball of nervous energy, and instead of staring at my mom while she sleeps, I go into the weight room and start lifting. Thankfully Haddie leaves me alone. I work myself into exhaustion, and when I finish, I head into my bathroom and shower—after, I throw on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt then step into the hall, where I find Haddie stepping out of my parents’ bedroom.
“Is my mom okay?” Can she see the worry on my face?
She stops in front of me, again resting her hand on my forearm. A strange tingling sensation travels up my arm. What is she doing to me?
“Your mom’s fine. She’s sleeping. Your dad texted me, asking me how she was. He got an earlier flight and should be home by eleven.”
Should it bother me that my dad talked to Haddie about Mom? My phone rings, interrupting my thoughts. I head into the kitchen and grab my phone off of the counter. It’s my dad. “Hey Dad, how’s it going?”
“Good, son, we’re finishing up ahead of schedule. Haddie says you’re at the house.”
“Yeah, I took today off and came to help in your absence.”
“That’s great. I’m sure your mom is glad to have you there.” I hear him sigh. “Your mom and I updated our life insurance policies. You’re the primary benefactor.”
I interrupt him. “Dad, I really don’t want to talk about this right now.”
“Christopher, I know you don’t, but let’s face it. Your mom doesn’t have much time left and you never know when my time is up. We want to ensure that you’re taken care of. In the safe in my office is the information for your mom if she p-passes before I get home. It’s the mortuary, and the number. They already have the outfit she wants to be buried in.” He swallowed hard.
“I’ll call you when my flight lands, but you call me if anything changes with your mom.”
“Yeah, Dad, I’ll call you. I love you.” I feel sick.
“I love you too, son.”
As soon as I hang up, I drop my phone on the counter and grip the edge. My eyes and nose burn and I want to fucking cry. I feel arms wrap around me from the side. I don’t even think, I just wrap my arms around her, hugging her to my chest. “This sucks so fucking bad.”
