Page 12 of May's Bad Boy: Kody

She shouldn't have had to fight this hard to survive.

"I should've seen it," I say. "I should've asked. I should've?—"

"No," she cuts in, shaking her head. "You've already done enough."

"This is why I married you," I say quietly.

She looks up, startled.

"Not for love," she whispers.

"For survival," I finish for her.

She looks away like she's embarrassed, but I gently tilt her chin back toward me.

"Then let me help you survive."

She doesn't answer, but she doesn't pull away either. That silence feels heavier than words, and it settles into my chest.

"Rest. I'll get breakfast going,” I say as she shifts back to her pillows.

By the time Sadie stirs awake, the kitchen is filled with the smell of eggs, toast, and coffee. Paige is wrapped in a blanket, perched at the table with a cup of juice between her hands. Her eyes are tired but clearer. Sadie sits beside her, chatting about a dream she had with flying raccoons and glitter rockets.

I glance at Paige every few seconds, making sure she's still okay. She catches me once, and there's something soft in her gaze. Grateful. But also a little scared.

Sadie notices, too. She scoops marshmallows out of her cereal and drops them into Paige's bowl like it's a healing spell.

"You okay, Miss Paige?" she asks.

Paige smiles faintly. "Getting there, sweetheart."

After breakfast, Paige curls up on the couch with a blanket, and I finally do what I should've done days ago. I call the doctor to get her set up with proper refills. After I tell him about her fainting last night, I make an appointment for her to get more insulin and get a few regular check-ins scheduled. I leave nothing to chance.

When I hang up, I find Paige standing in the kitchen, staring out the window like she's somewhere else.

"I'll pull my weight," she says quietly.

"I know," I reply. You already have been."

She looks over her shoulder at me. Her eyes are clearer now, but tired. Like she's still waiting for the catch.

"But I'm not going let you break while doing it," I say.

She swallows hard. Her eyes shimmer.

That wall between us—the one we've both been pretending doesn't exist—starts to crack. Not all the way. But just enough.

CHAPTER 5

PAIGE

The morning sun feels kinder today, its warmth settling on my shoulders as I walk hand-in-hand with Sadie down Main Street. It's such a nice day out. We parked at one end of the street and decided to walk up one side and down the other. She skips beside me, her little pink sneakers lighting up with every bounce.

We've just stopped at the Merc for some groceries, and she proudly picked out a glittery notebook and a sparkly pen that she insists is for "official magic business." Her chatter is endless on the way back to the car, stories about dragons and rainbow clouds rolling from her like sunshine. She's happy. And somehow, that makes the day feel lighter, too.

Kody stayed behind at the ranch to help Shane with some fencing. I told him we'd be fine on our own for a little morning adventure. Plus, he filled me in on Sadie's idea of getting chickens and apparently he and Shane will have a talk about it.

I think part of me wanted to see how it felt—doing something normal again, just me and Sadie. Like we are any regular mom and daughter out for a Saturday stroll. It's easy to get lost in the possibility because Sadie is so easy to love. But I have to remind myself this is all temporary, though my heart doesn't listen.

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