Page 98 of Ransom

"Would that have been so bad? We could–" I stop, the words catching in my throat as memories flood back. The way I used to plan my entire day around seeing him, how we'd daydream about our futures. Back then, I would have followed him anywhere. My fingers trace the rim of the whiskey glass as the truth settles heavily in my chest. Even now, years later, some small part of me knows I would have thrown everything away just to stay in his orbit.

"Than what? Than being here? Running your own business? Being Max's second mom?" Her voice stayed steady, refusing to rise to my anger. "Your life matters, Blair. The person you've become matters."

The fight drained out of me. "I know." Dad depended on me more and more over the years. We were close, maybe too close. And somewhere, deep in the corner of my mind, I wonder if he was so afraid of losing me, he jumped at the chance to send Ransom away. Because if Ransom and I had been together, and he wanted to leave Badger Falls, I would have gone with him in a heartbeat.

"I get it now." Maggie's voice cut through the darkness. "Why Robert did what he did. As a parent, you'll do anything to protect your child."

The words hit like a slap in the face. That’s rich, coming from her. "Like you're protecting Max by giving up?"

"Blair—"

"No." I pulled my hand away. "You don't get to lecture me about protection when you won't even fight."

"That's not fair."

"Isn't it? You're abandoning him. Abandoning me." My voice cracked.

"I'm dying, Blair. There's a difference between giving up and accepting reality."

"Reality? The reality is you're choosing to leave us." The fear and the anger crawl up my throat. I want to scream at her, and tell her how selfish I think she is. But I don’t.

"Don't you dare." Maggie's voice turned sharp. "I have fought this thing twice. I've spent years being sick, being tired, missing moments with my son because I was too busy throwing up from chemo. I can't believe you're bringing this up again. You said you understood. Were you lying?"

She’s always been stubborn. And when we fight about the big stuff, which doesn’t happen often, she has this way of distancing herself that scares the shit out of me. She gets cold.

In the past, I could handle a little cold. And eventually, she’d come around.

But we don’t have the luxury of time. And I can’t spend the time she has left with her angry at me. I can’t lose her yet. Not like that.

"I'm sorry." The words tumbled out. "I didn't mean—please don't?—"

"Don't what?" she snaps.

"Don't kick me out. I can't—" My breath comes hard and fast. This is her house. Her family. I don't have a right to be here.

Maggie's breath catches, and her arms wrap around me. "Oh honey, no. Never. You are my family. I love you, and I'd never do that to you, no matter how much you piss me off."

"I'm scared." The admission felt like glass in my mouth. Scared of losing you. Scared of life after. Scared of my feelings.

"I know." She stroked my hair. "But this isn't about running away or fear. It's about giving Max whatever time I have left,where he can actually have his mom. Not some ghost in a hospital bed."

I press my face into her shoulder. "I shouldn't have said those things."

"You're allowed to be angry. I'm angry too." Her voice softened. "But I need you to understand—this isn't giving up. This is choosing how I want to spend my last chapter."

"I hate this chapter."

"Me too." She squeezes me tighter. "But I'm not going anywhere yet. And you'll always be Max's Auntie Blair. That won't change."

I lean against Maggie's shoulder, emotionally drained. "He told me he loves me."

"What?" Maggie jerks back so fast I nearly topple over. "Ransom Kyle said what now?"

"That he's always loved me. Never stopped." My fingers trace patterns on the wooden step. "Says every relationship since has fallen short."

"Holy shit. He just went for it, huh?" Maggie grabs my arm. "And do you believe him? I mean, that's a big thing to say after twenty-five years apart."

"I don't know." But the way my stomach clenches up makes it clear I have some sort of feeling about it. Can't tell if it's a good or a bad feeling yet. It's funny how, at the beginning, they can feel the same. "He seemed really sure."

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