Page 60 of Apple of My Eye
My plan to bring a baby goat to our next farmers’ market is derailed by emergency surgery to remove one of my wisdom teeth. My jaw had been getting increasingly sore for the past week, something I attributed to grinding my teeth at night, a habit I’ve had in the past when stressed. But I woke up in the middle of the night on Wednesday to worse pain and reluctantly called the dentist, who was able to squeeze me in the next day. The surgery was seamless except for the fact that I kept asking the nurse to remember to take a video of me for Evan and Shari, who let me know very sternly that while they wished for my speedy recovery, they also wished for a video of me on pain medication.
Fortunately, I completely blacked out on the way home (during which I recorded said video) and slept on and off, in a complete haze, for an entire day.
My memory returns the next day just in time for me to be roused from bed by the smell of Mom’s cooking, which wafts upstairs and pleasantly tickles my nostrils. Thankfully it’s cold enough for soup.
I’m rounding the corner into the kitchen when I almost run smack into my dad, who grumbles a panicked hello on his way out the door.
‘Cal!’ my mother shouts from her seat at the kitchen table. She rises from her seat, bustling towards me with both hands outstretched. ‘Are you OK? You’re really supposed to be protecting your mouth you know.’
I roll my eyes. ‘I know, Mom. I wasn’ttryingto run into Dad.’ I pause mid-step, freezing in place before I can reach the table. My voice sounds garbled and slow, almost like I’ve been drinking but I know I haven’t. And a weird dream keeps tugging at the sides of my brain. I sink into a kitchen chair and squeeze my eyes shut, trying to remember what I was dreaming about. Bits and pieces of it flash behind my eyelids, being at the Parkers’, seeing Nick, watching a movie .?.?.
My mom places a glass of salt water in front of me. ‘Drink up,’ she says gently.
I groan. ‘I had the weirdest dream,’ I say.
‘Medication will do that to you,’ Mom soothes, patting my back. ‘Are you feeling up for some soup?’
I try to smile gratefully at her and end up wincing with pain. She tuts at me, ladling soup into a bowl.
‘Want to play a round of cards when your dad gets home?’ she asks as soon as I’ve finished.
I stretch my arms over my head, nodding. ‘That sounds really nice, Mom. I’ll walk and see JJ for a bit before dinner then.’
Mom nods with approval and I make my way out into the cold sunshine, a heavy sweater on and a cup of applesauce for JJ—he loves it as much as he loves unripe apples.
‘Hey, boy,’ I greet him. I take extra care brushing his coat today, moving slowly as I let him out. I watch him prance around the paddock, so full of energy now that his leg has healed. ‘I need to be out here with you more, huh?’ I ask him. He nickers in reply.
‘I’ll find you a good home,’ I say to him, soft enough that he can’t hear. I leave the rest of my sentence unsaid—I’m not ready to part with you yet.
Four hours later and we’re gathered around the kitchen table, hunched over a card game. Linden calls while we’re playing. ‘Honey, you’re on speaker,’ Mom announces. ‘I’ve got Dad and Lou here with me.’
Dad and I both laugh, Mom always answers the phone like she’s a newscaster. ‘Lou,’ Linden says, ‘I was calling to see how you were doing.’
‘Oh, um, I’m good,’ I say. Linden and I haven’t talked in a while, he must have heard about the surgery from Mom. My heart squeezes a bit that he took the time to call. He chatters on with Mom and Dad about what they’re excited for about U-Pick.
‘Lou, will you hand out any more of those seedling kits?’
‘How do you know about—?’ I stop myself short, of course Mom told him. ‘I have my hands full with some other plans,’ I admit.
‘Other plans,’ Linden laughs, ‘sounds like I’ll have to call you myself to find out about those.’
‘I’d like that,’ I reply, avoiding Mom’s gaze. I can’t bear to see her so happy that Linden and I have made plans to call each other—all she wants us to do is stop arguing about the farm. Sometimes I feel like it’s all I have to hold on to, that I’m the better daughter, and some days, like today, I miss my older brother and I’m tired of holding a grudge. Linden tells us about his new girlfriend, during which Mom mutes the phone and admits she thinks that’s the reason he’s been better about calling. ‘Not that I’m complaining,’ she’s quick to add.
By the time we hang up, our enthusiasm for the game has waned. We all miss our fourth player.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Nick
WEEK SEVEN
The day has arrived—two executives from Scott’s Orchards are coming by this afternoon to meet Joe and Betsy. Based on the email they sent over prior, we won’t be discussing too much business. They want to get a feel for what we’re doing. I have all the confidence in the world that Joe and Betsy can deliver.
Joe and I spend the morning putting up signs for U-Pick. I thought the blue truck was hard to drive, but the tractor is something else. As it rolls and teeters over the dirt beneath me, I realize it’s as close as I’ve ever come to riding a wild animal. I think about JJ, wonder if Eloise has been spending more time with him now that she’s not with me.
‘I think we need a sign here.’ Joe interrupts my train of thought, pointing to a small mound in the dirt.
‘Are you sure?’ I ask. Joe’s been carting me around on his tractor instructing me as to where to stake directional signs in the ground for U-pickers for the better part of three hours. We’ve already put down close to thirty, and we need to head back soon to prepare for the meeting.
