CHAPTER 20
Maddie
I’ve always hated gifts, and this is no different.
Last Christmas, Dad got Mom a new microwave from Walmart.
The old one stopped working the week before.
The thing is, Mom hardly used it when it was working.
She preferred her stove and oven. But Dad and my brothers used the microwave all the time, so of course he got a new one.
But why couldn’t he have just replaced it and gotten Mom something nice?
When it comes to Dad and my brothers, giving gifts is usually self-serving like that.
But that’s not why I hate them. I hate it when they’re given as charity, and that’s what Riggs has a habit of doing.
But honestly, he makes it really hard to be mad at him. The new tires were such a lifesaver.
At the same time, I love giving gifts. Mom’s birthday was three weeks ago, and even though Dad totally forgot, I didn’t. I had to wait until I got paid for a wedding dress to be able to afford the small shopping spree, but today I can finally give her everything.
When I set the neatly wrapped boxes on the end of her bed I hear a commotion in the living room.
At first, I’m stricken with panic. As soon as Riggs’s big box was delivered, I put it in my bedroom to hide it from my brothers.
If they find out I have a billionaire best friend, they’ll try to find a way to get to know him real fast, and that would be a nightmare for me.
Did Riggs send something else? Something my brothers just found?
Heaven help me if that’s what’s happening.
Hastily, I leave Mom to check. As I come around the corner, I see Josh and Keegan with brand-new bowfishing rigs, and not the cheap kind. I’ve had enough redneck friends to know exactly what they are and how much they cost—about four hundred each.
I’m standing here, hands on my hips, shaking my head. “Did you get Mom anything?”
They look at me like I’m speaking Chinese.
“I didn’t think so. Somehow you can afford those, but you never have any money to help with the bills around here?”
Josh is two years older than Keegan, who is two years older than me. They hate being scolded by their baby sister, but they hate it even more when they know I’m right.
Keegan may be younger, but he’s the hothead and definitely the one in charge. Josh just goes along with whatever dumb idea his overbearing brother comes up with. And from the look on Keegan’s face, I can tell he’s brewing up an epic comeback. This should be priceless.
Keegan holds his bow up with, “You dumb bitch, we are helping. This will put food on the table.”
Always late to the party, Josh holds his bow up and nods with, “Yeah.”
“When was the last time you two mud flaps brought home any fish?”
I wait while they stand there staring at me with their mouths hung open like my question just overloaded their tiny brains. But what can they say? They’ve never brought home so much as a minnow, and they know it.
I fold my arms across my chest. “That’s what I thought.”
Keegan gives me a heated glare, but I stand my ground, unimpressed. “C’mon, Josh,” he says. “Grab the beer. We don’t have to take this.”
I watch from the front doorway as they load their gear into the back of Keegan’s piece-of-trash truck. “Don’t worry about your breakfast dishes,” I call out. “I’ll take care of them. It’s the least I can do since you’ll be bringing dinner home tonight.”
Josh hops in the passenger side while Keegan pulls the driver’s side door open, then stops and turns to me with veins bulging in his neck and a face so red, it looks like he’s about to have a stroke. “You always ruin everything!”
And that’s it. He gets in, slams the door, and peels off leaving tire tracks in the driveway.
Whatever. “Just another day in paradise,” I mutter under my breath with a sigh.
When I return to Mom’s room, she looks worried. “What was that about?”
“The boys being boys. You know how they are.” To distract her from asking any more questions, I hand her my first present, which has a handmade bow on top.
She opens it, and the look on her face is the best present I’ve ever been given.
“I’ve heard about these. They say weighted blankets make a big difference.” She holds it up to her face and rubs her cheek against its velvety fabric. “So soft. What I wouldn’t give for a good night’s sleep. You’re too good to me, sweetie. Thank you.”
“Hold on. There’s more.” I hand her the next present. It’s light but big.
A tear rolls down her cheek when she sees the two special pillows, super-soft with silk pillowcases.
“I asked your dad to look into getting me some of these.” I think the fact that he didn’t is the reason she’s being so emotional about them.
I can’t imagine how much it must hurt to know your husband of thirty-four years has abandoned you when you need him the most.
Like the weighted blanket, Riggs told me about the pillows. When I looked them up, I read that hospital cancer units use them because they’re so gentle on delicate skin.
She holds her arms out and I lean forward to squeeze her as tight as I dare while whispering in her ear, “I love you, Mom.”
She lets go and tries to wipe her eyes with a shaking hand. “I love you too. I just wish I could have gotten you something for your birthday. I hope you got something this year.”
A grin tugs at the corner of my mouth. “As a matter of fact, I did. Can you keep a secret?”
She cocks a brow. “Do you even have to ask?”
“Hold on.” Before I retrieve the new sewing machine, I move the old one from my sewing table at the end of her bed and set it on the floor out of the way. It takes some effort to carry the new one in. The thing is awkward and heavy as I set it on my table.
“Ms. Southerby gave you that? What’s gotten into her?”
I’m beaming when I tell her my big secret. “It’s not from Ms. Southerby. It’s from a friend. I met him at the ski lodge.”
“Him?” Her brows rise suspiciously. Then, with a hand to her chest, and in her terrible Downton Abbey accent she says, “A gentleman friend? Please, do tell.”
I can’t believe I’ve kept this from her for so long.
Her attempt at being a proper English woman makes me laugh and I jump on her bed anxious to tell her everything.
We’re like two giggling schoolgirls when I try to describe what Riggs and Ash look like.
Then I remember there’s a whole YouTube channel to show her.
I bring up the Path of Death video Randy told me about, something I never got around to watching.
As the video plays, Mom’s eyes are like saucers and she gasps several times.
We’re not even there, and it’s still scaring the crap out of us.
Every other step looks like they might fall a thousand feet to their deaths.
“And they do this for a living?”
I pull up the video where Ash shoots Riggs in the leg with the arrows. “Yep. Here, see what you think of this one.”
Mom laughs so hard I need to turn her oxygen up. I love seeing her like this.
After we watch a few more videos, I make Mom something to eat. I finally have her new taste buds figured out, and today I serve her stuffed bell peppers with extra tomato sauce in the hamburger.
“Oh, I like this,” she says between bites.
She cleans her plate, and I couldn’t be happier. She’s gained some weight and looks much healthier. I also got her some more sour gummy worms. We spend the rest of the evening playing Rummy, and the whole time I can’t stop thinking about how glad I am to have this time with her.
As I tuck Mom in with her new pillows and weighted blanket, she looks up at me with the kindest eyes. “I think this was the best birthday I’ve ever had. Thank you, dear.”
“Anything for you, Mom.” I’m so happy I could cry.
After a final good-night hug, I head to the kitchen to clean up. But before getting started on the dishes, I need to do something. This whole day wouldn’t have been nearly as wonderful if it hadn’t been for Riggs. I bring out my phone.
Maddie: Thank you.
Riggs: I take it she liked the blanket and pillows. I’m glad.
Maddie: Yeah, I really appreciate it. Best day ever!