Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 137310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers too.
And he got out of her room before Harlan returned.
He didn’t leave the hospice though.
He found a shadow and became one with it, so he saw Harlan return with the Dairy Queen cup in his hand.
Pete gave it time before he moved stealthily down the hall, positioned himself outside her door and peered around the jamb.
Harlan’s back was to him, but he saw him bent to his momma, giving her a taste of Blizzard.
She’d woken up for him, because they were eking out the last dregs, trying to make a miracle by making what was proved finite, last longer.
Then the tall, handsome man sat in a chair beside his mother’s bed, and he ate the Blizzard, chatting with his mother until she fell asleep.
It didn’t take long.
Big Petey watched as Harlan then got up, and he knew by the sound when that DQ cup hit the trash can, there was a lot of ice cream left.
He was right, it had tasted like dust.
Harlan went back to sit by his momma.
Big Petey moved away from the door, out to his trike, and he waited to call Rush until after he got home.
Present day…
Big Petey stood by the graveside, looking down at the arched, ivory marble headstone with the pretty flowers etched in at the top, and underneath, it said:
Jacqueline Mary McCain
Loving Mother
Beloved Mother
“Think of the days of me and you,
You and me against the world.”
There were flowers at the base, because of course there were. Hugger was in town, and Di had just left. He’d brought his woman to meet his momma, because that was Harlan McCain.
The flowers were creamy Calla lilies.
Jackie’s favorite.
Big Petey set the frame by the blooms that were beginning to curl and brown.
In that frame was a photo of Diana holding Chief, Millie’s grumpy-faced cat to her chest. Hug was close to them both, his fingers buried in the cat’s ruff, but his eyes were on Diana.
His face was soft, so was hers.
They were smiling at each other, bright and blinding.
“She’s got class and sass, she’s a fighter, got a heart so big, you wouldn’t believe, and as you can see, she’s gorgeous,” he told Jackie. “And, woman, she loves him somethin’ fierce. Somethin’ fierce. Her mother said something mean to your boy, and Di cut her right out. No hesitation. It was a sight to see, I promise you. She cut her right out.” He paused and added on a mumble, “Woman is a bitch, though.”
There was nothing after his words died, just the chill late-October air.
“We had it, darlin’, now Di’s got it, make no mistake,” Big Petey promised. “She’s got him. He’s all good now. He’s got family, and only thing left for him to do is make more.”
The marble had nothing to say.
Big Petey touched the top, feeling the cold like a burn on his fingers.
“You can rest now, gorgeous. It’s all good,” he murmured, patted the marble and took in a deep breath.
Then he left Jackie to rest, walked to his trike and rode, the cold air biting his face, the chill wind in his hair.
It might not do any good for his joints, but in that moment he didn’t care.
Because like he said, finally, after years of struggle, war, pain and betrayal, it was all good.
And anyway, anytime he was riding, all his life, Big Petey felt nothing but free.
EPILOGUE
“ROLL ME AWAY”
Diana
About two weeks later…
Hugger moving woke me up.
I was tucked tight to his back, and since it seemed he wasn’t getting out of bed to go to the bathroom or something, I kept hold on him with my arm wrapped around his waist.
I realized he was answering his phone when he grunted, “Yeah?”
I opened my eyes to see it was still dark out, but it was early November. Days were shorter, and unlike most of the rest of the world, we Phoenicians didn’t have a problem with the shorter days, because they brought the cooler temperatures, and the city woke up for what felt like an eight-month Mardi Gras.
This was my thought when I felt Hugger’s body turn to stone.
Any sleep still lingering vanished at the vibe coming off him, and I pushed up to a hand in the bed to try to see his profile.
The light was dim.
I still saw his face looked carved from granite.
My stomach curled into itself.
“When?” he bit off like a quiet bark.
But I heard it.
I heard the pain.
Oh no.
What was happening?
I pressed closer.
“Okay, yeah,” he said. “Yeah. We’ll be up.” A pause and a final, “Yeah. Soon’s we can.”
He took the phone from his ear.
“Honey?” I called when he just lay there, on his side, unmoving.
He continued to lay there, on his side, unmoving, his arm with his phone in hand resting on the bed like it had stopped working, his eyes aimed at nothing.