“We come equipped for the grief that comes when we lose a parent or a grandparent.” Addy took a long drink of her beer. “We grieve and we hurt when that happens. But losing a child is an unnatural grief, one that we never get over.”
“How do you know?” Mia asked. “Did you lose a baby? Is it all right if I get a bottle of water from the fridge?”
“Of course,” Jesse answered. “There’s also root beer and bottles of sweet tea.”
She popped up onto her feet, crossed over to the kitchen area, and brought back a bottle of root beer.
“I didn’t lose a baby,” Addy said, “but your granny did. My mama had a little brother who died when he was six years old. He fell out of a tree and broke his neck, and Granny said that she still wasn’t over it when she was in her seventies.”
“I don’t want to think about losing you or my grandparents or Nana and Poppa.” Mia shivered. “I need all of you in my life—even you, Jesse.”
“Well, thank you for that.” He smiled so big that his face hurt.
She held up her bottle, and Jesse touched his can to it. “Mama?” She raised an eyebrow.
Addy leaned forward and made it a three-way toast. “To surviving and bringing a new baby almost all the way into the world.”
“To realizing that life is important,” Mia said.
“To family,” Jesse added.
“And on that note, we’d better get back up to the house. One of us needs to be there in case Sonny needs us. He was so upset about the wreck that his blood pressure was up quite a bit,” Addy said.
“Thanks for letting me crash your party,” Mia said.
“Anytime,” Jesse said. But the truth was that he would rather have had a whole night with Addy all to himself.
* * *
To Addy, Thursday and Friday seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. She wanted to go to the bunkhouse both nights, but Mia stuck to her like glue, as if she was afraid that if Addy got out of her sight, she would never see her again. Jesse stayed in the house both nights until bedtime, but Addy didn’t even get a good night kiss. By Saturday morning, she was ready to grab Jesse by the hand and lead him off to that old barn up near Dodd City for a make-out session.
When she reached the kitchen that morning, Jesse was making a pot of coffee. “Where is everyone?” she asked.
“Sleeping in a little while, I guess.” He finished his job and drew her close to him for a hug. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since Wednesday night, and there just didn’t seem to be a time. “Good morning, darlin’.” He ran a forefinger down her cheek and then his lips met hers.
She took a step back when she heard Sonny’s cane tapping down the wooden floor in the hallway. “Good mornin’ to you. How has Mia been doing the past couple of days? She’s either texted me or called every hour.”
“She’s been quiet, but she’s kept up with her work. She’s not surly like she was the first couple of days. That wreck really shook her up,” Jesse answered.
“Crazy how things work, isn’t it?” Addy was setting the table when Pearl and Sonny entered the kitchen. “What are we having this morning?” she asked Pearl.
“I thought maybe we’d do bacon and pancakes,” Pearl said. “Were y’all talking about Mia and the change that’s come over her? Seems like there was Mia that we helped you raise and knew, then the ugly one that came home from Las Vegas, and now, there is this clingy one. I didn’t like the Vegas one, but this one worries me. Think we need to take her to a therapist? She’s been through a lot in a short while.”
Addy had gone to a therapist for a couple of years after she’d had the hysterectomy. She had always thought that someday she’d fall in love, get married, and have a whole yard full of kids. Then suddenly, she was told that she couldn’t have any more children when she was only nineteen years old. She kept up with her classes, and took good care of Mia, but she went into a deep depression. Her grandmother had made the first appointment with the therapist, and Addy had argued with her, but after three visits, she was feeling better.
“Maybe so,” she finally said. “Let’s give her a couple of weeks, and if she’s not better, I’ll find one and make an appointment for her.”
“What do you think, Jesse?” Sonny asked.
“I’ve been to a therapist,” Jesse said. “Mine helped me a lot, so I’m all for it if Mia needs to go. I’ll even drive her there and back.”
“Mornin’, everyone.” Mia yawned as she came into the kitchen. “What’s on the agenda today, Jesse?”
“We’ve got to start with taking care of the alpacas. Then we’ll need to finish up the morning with Henry and the boys. After that, you are supposed to help with the church bake sale, right?” Jesse answered.
“Full day,” Mia said. “Mama, what are you doing today?”
“Breakfast, Sonny’s vitals and meds, some data work on the computer, dinner, and then the bake sale,” Addy answered. “I’ll be in the house until we go to the church for the sale.”
“Okay, then.” Mia tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “What can I do to help with breakfast, Nana?”
“Get out the jams and butter while I start frying bacon,” Pearl said. “And when you get that done, get a can of orange juice from the freezer and make it up.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Mia headed for the refrigerator. “What are you and Poppa doing today?”
“I’ll be going over the books before we take them to the CPA for our quarterly tax payments. Pearl will be making more cookies,” Sonny answered. “Honey, we are all fine. You don’t have to worry about us.”
“Yes, I do,” Mia disagreed. “These old worthless boys you’ve got didn’t give you any grandkids to worry about you, so it’s my job.”
“Well, thank you for that,” Jesse said.
“Just sayin’,” Mia said. “The whole bunch of you need to settle down, fall in love, and live happily ever after so Nana can rock her grandbabies.”
“Bossy this mornin’, ain’t you?” Addy arranged the five plates around the table.
Mia shrugged. “Yep, I am, but a near-death experience can sure enough wake a person up to what’s important.”
Sitting across the table from Jesse Ryan can do the same thing, Addy thought as she slid a sideways glance over toward him.
With the briefest of nods, he let her know that he was thinking the same thing.
* * *
The church parking lot was already filling up when Pearl, Addy, and Mia arrived that Saturday afternoon. The pale blue sky had a few puffy, white clouds, and the temperature was hanging right at a hundred degrees.
Jesse nosed his truck right in beside his mother’s vehicle, got out, and helped Sonny get his feet on the ground, and then began unloading baked goods for the sale. Pearl grabbed a lace tablecloth, looped her arm in Sonny’s, and the two of them talked to each other all the way into the church fellowship hall.
“Isn’t that sweet?” Mia sighed. “When I fall in love for real, I want what Nana and Poppa have.”