Page 68 of Honey Bun
Maddie let her go. “It took me a long time to understand your sickness didn’t have to be mine. Lately, I’ve panicked over all the wrong things, but I’m getting better. And you should know, Arman is officially my boyfriend.”
My shoulders perked. She’d claimed me as her own, though I was probably too old to be a boyfriend.
“Okay. I’m happy for you.” Catherine gave me an unblinking gaze, and her skin was ashen as she said to Maddie, “It’s just that I’ve never wanted to hurt you or for you to suffer.”
I asked, “Do you want to stay and have lunch and see Aurora?”
Maddie’s eyes flitted to me. “We’re late.”
My mother would understand. I said, “She can stay.”
Catherine backed up. “I don’t want to impose.”
Maddie reached out and took her mom’s arm. “Actually, Mom, I have to fly to Montana tomorrow. If you want to come and see my life there, you’re welcome to join me.”
Catherine gazed at me. “How long will we be?”
“We’re going and coming back the same day. He died, and I need to find a lawyer and finalize everything with a funeral home. I don’t think it will take long.”
Without thinking, I said, “I’ll have Jeff ensure that the legal work is smooth.”
“Thanks. Mention to have him check for who’s getting the life insurance. I want to prepare my daughter if it’s her.”
“On it,” I said and texted Jeff.
Her mother said, “Then I’ll go.”
We headed back into the building, but this time, we went to Maddie’s apartment. Now that she loved me, I wanted her to move in with me, but I kept my mouth shut.
She opened the door and said to her mother, “Stay in my place until we get back.”
Catherine asked, “Where are you going?”
Maddie said, “To pick up Aurora, and we have a meeting.”
Catherine glanced around, and her eyes were wide as saucers. “Okay, thank you.”
If Maddie didn’t take me to Montana, at least she would have someone with her. As we talked to Catherine, we learned that my mother had organized a vacation with a botanist to learn about gardening for Catherine and our gardener, all-expenses paid. All I knew about Catherine was that she grew flowers, so I thought the vacation would be right up her alley, but I showed the text message to Maddie first so she could make the final call about whether to extend the invitation to her mother.
Maddie nodded then walked beside me across the park, and I curved my arm around her and reached up. She laughed as I traced her armpit, and she shook her head. “Arman, you’re tickling me.”
I stopped and smiled. “I liked when you said I was your boyfriend.”
“We are exclusive.”
We were more than that. I needed to ask her to be mine forever. “I’m in for whatever you can handle.”
She reached around and took my hand in hers. “Just love me. It’s enough for anything.”
I walked with her, and as we neared my mother’s door, I said, “Let’s get Aurora.”
The butler let us in, and my mother called out from the dining room, “Arman, you’re late.”
We headed in, and I saw most of my brothers sitting there quietly. Cyrus and Elon were center stage. No one said a word.
I held my head high. “Maddie had an issue.”
Aurora came out, holding a tea carafe. She placed it on the table. “What issue, Mom?”
