Page 48 of Always Meant for You
She rolls her head from side to side. “Do you mind if we don’t talk, Cal?”
I can hear it now. The fatigue. The resignation in her tone.
I tighten my grip on the wheel. “Fine by me.”
It’s not fine.
I want more.
I want to know everything, but I can’t let on that I do.
I pull up in front of the pharmacy, throw the truck in park, and head in without a word to her. The store’s quiet. No line. I’m in and out in a few minutes. Mabel hasn’t moved. She’s staring ahead, lost in thought. I set the paper bag on the dash and shift into drive.
She picks it up and reads the label. “This has my dad’s name on it.”
“Yeah.”
“What is it?”
Now she’s watching me. “It’s medicine, Mabel.”
“I figured as much. What’s it for?”
I huff a tight breath. She’ll find out soon enough. “For his joints.”
“Is this a new problem?” she asks, her voice no longer sharp.
It’s not my place to discuss Mr. Muldowney’s condition.
I shrug. “You should ask him yourself.”
“I’m asking you, Cal. Why can’t you tell me what’s wrong with him?”
There’s panic in her tone.
I let out another heavy breath. “It’s arthritis. Mostly in his hands and knees. Some days are better than others.”
“He never mentioned this to me, but the night I left, I noticed that he—” She stops herself.
“You know your dad,” I say, gently. “Would you have expected him to say something about his health?”
“No.”
The truck goes quiet. The breeze still filters in, but it doesn’t help. The air is thick with pain and everything we’re not saying.
“Why are you going this way, Cal?” she asks, eyeing the road.
Shit.She noticed.
“We usually take the road that runs past your farm when we come in from town,” she adds.
Your farm.
I keep my expression neutral. “I felt like the scenic route.”
I’m a liar.
“What’s going on, Cal? I know that face. You’ve got a million thoughts spinning through that stubborn skull.”
