Page 14 of Forever Focused

“Everyone keeps saying he’s changed, but what has changed?”

“He’s more determined,” Madison began and hesitated. “There’s an edge to him that wasn’t there before. Like he’s been through hell and barely got out alive. I’ve never seen him so… fractured…” and her friend paused, searching for the words to say aloud.

“Fractured?” Poppy whispered, her heart breaking silently. “What do you mean?”

“When he came home, it was like something was broken in his personality, in his head, but your dad has really taken him under his wing…”

“What?”

“You didn’t know?”

“I knew they worked together, but…”

“Your dad helped pull him out of whatever mess he was drowning in mentally. He talks to him, tells my overprotective mom to get out of the room, and the ten of them go out for a beer every once in a while.”

“Ten of them?

“They pile into a few cars and head out together on Fridays. My dad, your father, Michael, Uncle Thumper, Firefly, Valkyrie, Romeo, Ricochet, Ghost, and Caboose. The team has a beer, some pub food, and it’s like a bonding thing – I think.”

“Michael is going with them?”

“Yup – and it’s been good for him. The stammer he had when he came home is fading, and I don’t know if it was PTSD or some sort of…”

“Wait. What? Michael was stuttering?”

Madison’s face took on his harsh look as she stared at Poppy with a startling expression. It was almost as if Madison was sizing her up to see if she was a threat to her brother.

“Do not bring it up,” Madison enunciated bluntly in a hushed voice. “I didn’t tell you. You did not hear it from me. Do not bring it up, comment on it, or even mention it or anything else that has been talked about tonight. If you felt anything for him, you will let him continue to pick himself back up off the ground. Do you understand me, Penelope Walters?”

“First off – I adore your brother,” Poppy leaned forward, hissing at her friend. “Secondly, since when do you ever refer to me as Penelope, you twit. You don’t like Maddie – and I don’t like Penelope. It’s pretentious and stuffy.” Both women sat back, looking at each other and finally, Madison smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Are you coming to my grand opening?”

“Am I invited?”

“Yes.”

“Is your brother going to be there?”

“I hope at some point – yes.”

“Do you have a problem with me talking to him?”

“Not if you are serious about him. I think it would be incredible to see the two of you finally figure things out. I don’t know what that looks like or how to cross that ‘great divide’ between the two of you, but…”

“But… what?”

“I think he still misses you.”

“I miss him,” Poppy admitted quietly, staring down at her hands in her lap. “I’ve tried to go see him, but…”

“Keep trying, and don’t give up.”

“Apply that same advice to your crush on Emmett Wilkes.”

“I’m trying,” Madison said glumly. “I really am…”

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