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“You had an ugly-hearted mom too?” Her blue eyes glistened under the lights.
I nodded, taking her hands in mine. “I did, but the key is to find someone in your life that helps you focus on the good. I make lists every day; they help me remember what’s good in my life, and what I’m thankful for.”
Maddy considered me for a moment, finishing off her milkshake.
“Can I try making them?”
“Of course you can. When we get back, I’ll show you mine.”
She smiled and nodded, seeming happier and lighter than when we walked in.
“You ready to go home?” I asked, taking a generous sip of my shake.
Maddy did the same and nodded.
We took our time going home, stopping at a local farm to grab some honey, lavender, and berries. Maddy loved it so much that she asked if we could go back in October to get pumpkins. The thought of being with them around Halloween was something I hadn’t even processed, but suddenly images of dressing all three girls up in the cutest outfits swam through my mind and my heart flip-flopped in my chest.
Once we entered Macon and pulled into the garage to park, Maddy rounded the car and wrapped her arms around my waist in a tight hug.
Then she whispered something that changed my insides around.
“I love you, Haley.”
My heart swelled until my chest was tight, and I could barely breathe. It was heavier, something you knew you’d have to work harder to keep intact, something you’d have to care for differently from this day forward because it wasn’t just you who mattered. There were other lives that counted on whether that thing inside your chest kept beating.
I bent over and hugged her back, choking back a sob. “I love you too, Maddy.”
We stood there for a few long moments, but they’d live in my mind and stretch further, into a thousand brilliant sparks that held all the good in this world.
Mila cracked open the door to the laundry room, stepping into the garage with a white bag in her arms.
“Haley, you got mail! Can I open it?”
Maddy and I broke apart, and I swiped at my face before taking the parcel from Mila’s hands.
“Let’s open it together inside.”
Once we cleared the laundry room, and took off our shoes and coats, we found Liam nursing a bottle of beer in his office. The second he saw me, he jumped up and rounded the desk.
“Hey.”
I smiled at him and let Mila begin to tear into the package.
He walked over and sat with us as Mila pulled out a thin shoe box.
“You got shoes!” Mila yelled excitedly.
Maddy narrowed her gaze, turning the lid to see the words on the front. “Hush Shoes. What are those?”
“Oh, these are actually for your dad. I had Daniel send them over.”
Liam opened the box and pulled out the black shoes, turning them over in his hand.
“They’re light.”
Tossing them from one hand to the other, he inspected the material as I slid closer.
“These were designed to be lighter. I was thinking, would you be willing to try them while you train in the ring? If you love them, then maybe we can do a little tiny snippet of you on social media using them?” I put my hands together like I was praying.
