Page 25 of Madison
My stomach is full of nerves. Logically I know Kierstie was right and that Mick is going to be excited about this, I know he is, but it’s still nerve-racking having to wait till he gets here to tell him. I spend way too long thinking of how I’m going to tell him when an idea comes to mind. I get up and get myself together for the day, taking a quick shower and getting back into some comfy clothes. I find what I need in my office and have everything the way I want it when I hear his truck pull up. He must have left his bike at the club since it’s pouring cats and dogs out this morning.
I open the door just as he gets to the porch. He’s got like four bags and a drink carrier. “What all did you get? It looks like you’re gonna feed an army!” Mick gives me a smile and sets everything down on the kitchen island. “No army, I just got what you asked for, breakfast for me and some stuff for us to maybe share later if we want. I figured…I dunno, I just got stuff.” I look at him and I can tell he didn’t sleep much and he looks…he looks almost nervous. He looks at me. “Can I kiss you?” I can’t help but move so I can hug him. Being in his arms like this is my favorite place in the world to be. I kiss him and I can feel my heart settle just a bit. He settles me and centers me like no one else has ever been able to do. “Baby, I’m sorry I was such a fucking ass by saying that last night. Even if I was frustrated, that’s no excuse. I don’t like sleeping without you next to me. It doesn’t feel right.” I shake my head against him. “I was being ridiculous. I was just stressing and I wasn’t listening to you when you were just trying to help me.” I let go of Mick and grab the bag I have on the counter. “I have something for you.” I hand him the bag and I can tell he looks confused. “Wait. I was an ass yesterday, but you got me something?” I can’t help but smile. “Girlfriend’sprerogative. Open it before we eat.” He shrugs his shoulders and opens the bag and starts to take out the tissue. I can’t breathe, waiting for him to see it. I watch him unravel the tissue and grab the stick. It only takes a second for him to look from the stick to me. “This means you’re pregnant, right?” I nod, not able to break eye contact. “Yeah. There are like six more tests I took in the bathroom.” I grab his hand and squeeze it. “We’re gonna have a baby.” He looks at me and I can see tears in his eyes. “I can’t believe it. This is so awesome!” He grabs me in a hug. “I love you so much, baby. I can’t wait to be with you at every step of this journey.” He looks at me and touches his forehead to mine. “I had tried to think of the perfect time to do this and I had wanted to do a big gesture and have all our family involved, but I think this…this…this is right. It’s us. Just you and me…and this one.” He touches my stomach with just the tips of his fingers. He takes one hand off my stomach and pulls something out of his pocket. “I love you Madison, with all of my heart and soul. My heart beats for you. I know we danced around each other for a long time, but in that time, not only did I fall in love with you, you became my best friend. There’s no one on this planet for me, but you. I want to do life with you. I want to do the good and exciting as well as the bad and traumatic. I want to live this life with you and take my last breath with you at my side.” Is he? Is he asking? “Madison, baby, my love. Would you do life with me and be my wife?” He holds out a beautiful sapphire ring. I can’t seem to form the words, but I nod emphatically as he slides the ring on my finger. As soon as it’s on I launch myself at him and kiss him with everything that I have. I break the kiss. “Yes I’ll marry you! That was the sweetest proposal ever! I love that it was just youand me. We can have a wedding with everyone, but this…this is us, just us.” I look into his blue eyes and see nothing but love looking back and I know I’m a very lucky woman. I need him to know how I feel. “I know those few years where we were friends and neither of us was ready to recognize more, they still mean the world to me. You were with me when I was so broken, and you didn’t fix me, but even better, you helped me fix myself. How could I not fall in love with you?” I kiss my fiancé and feel like this is right where I’m supposed to be.
*********
Yesterday, after Mick proposed, we spent the day together. He’d brought all the food I requested and muffins, fruit, snacks and ice cream. He said he wanted to be prepared. He told me what went down outside of church last night and that he was hoping I was pregnant.
He showed me just how happy he is that I'm pregnant and told me he’s just getting in practice for the next kid. I made us some pasta for dinner and we ate it in my office, talking about turning it into a nursery. He brought up painting the walls and decorating. “You know Mom is going to want to paint a mural in here for the baby.” I couldn’t help but ask him, “Don’t you wanna do that yourself? You’re an amazing artist too, babe.” He shook his head and told me that it was something his mom would want to do. “She will plan it all out with characters from books that she read to me as a kid and end giving us those too or something. It’s the kind of gift that’s right up her alley, you know she wouldn’t be one to just get us a stroller or something.” The more I thought about it that night, the more I realized how right hewas. Romona has always shown her love and how well she knew us through her art. She painted my favorite painting ever for Ma and Pa just a couple of years ago. It’s their back porch looking out at all the trees they planted over the years and it’s sunrise. In the light of the sun you can see their rocking chairs and the only part of either of them that you can really make out is them holding hands between the chairs. When I look at it, I can feel their love in the painting. I don’t know how she does it but she gets emotion in all of her paintings.
He was so cute this morning, when we woke up he asked if I was feeling okay and what I might want for breakfast, telling me “I have to make sure my family is fed and happy.” Making me swoon like a book boyfriend or something. He made us eggs, bacon and toast. He offered sausage, but the thought of that this morning…just no. He asked what I had planned for the day and I didn’t have anything specific planned. “Will you go for a ride with me? I mean in the truck. There’s something I wanna show you.” He knew that I’ve never been good with surprises and waiting so what did I do? Finished my breakfast in like two minutes and ran to the bedroom to finish getting ready for the day.
We get out on the main road and after a few minutes I realize we are heading in the direction of the tattoo shop. “Are we going to your shop? Do you have an appointment today?” I look over at Mick and he’s got what can only be described as a sly grin, like he knows something. “Nope, I don’t have an appointment today, and we’re not going to the shop.” Where the hell are we going? He keeps driving and within a couple of minutes he turns ontothe street that the shop is on. He doesn’t pull up to the shop but parks across the street from it. The shop he’s parked in front of has been empty for a number of years. It used to be a coffee place but when the owner died, it closed down and nothing has been in its place since. “What are we doing?” Mick gets out of the truck without answering me and comes around to my side and opens the door. I get out and watch him as he goes to the door and takes out a key and opens it. “We’re checking out your new sandwich shop. Well, after some work, that’s what it’s gonna be.” He pulls me inside. What in the? “How? I thought no one knew how to get a hold of the person who owns this place to rent it from them? That’s what my realtor said.” He wraps his arms around me from behind. “Well for one, that realtor sucks ass babe, she didn’t even look into anything for you. Secondly, I might have had some help tracking down the owner. Turns out Ry and Juan arereallygood at finding shit online. They found the owner, and he didn’t even know he owned the property. Guess the owner of that coffee place that used to be here wasn’t close with her family and left it to a nephew who’d only met her a couple of times. We chatted and got a good deal. He’s staying on as owner of the property, but it’s going to be like a rent to own agreement. I’ve got Asher and his crew lined up to do work on it for the next few weekends. There’s only one hitch to that though. I promised you’d feed them your sandwiches every day that they worked here.” I’ve been looking around as he talks. I can picture it all. He’s making my dream a reality. He squeezes me a little. “Say something please. Did I over step? Is this not what you pictured at all? I can-” I spin around in his arms and kiss him, interrupting him. He breaks the kiss and still looks a littleworried. “I love it! I can’t believe you did this for me. I love that it’s right across the street from you, that makes it even better. I don’t know the words to really say.” He kisses me. I don’t think I could love him more than I do at this very moment. “You know you’ve supported me through all of this, through my figuring out what I wanted to do. You supported my idea to hire people who need a little help. You’ve had my back when I didn’t have confidence in myself.” He kisses my forehead. “I was just loving you, baby. That’s all and my selfish need to see you happy.” He doesn’t get it. “Mick, look at me.” He looks down at me. “You turned my never evers into maybe I just might. You gave me the confidence to let myself work through my ideas. Thank you isn’t enough, but thank you. I love you and can’t wait to be your wife.”
We spend the next hour or so going over the whole place. I take pictures of all of it so I can talk to Asher and his guys about what I envision everywhere. We even came up with the perfect name. I can’t wait to get started on everything. Mick texts Asher about when they can start and he hems and haws. I know how to get an answer and text Logan.
Me: Hey, your husband is not giving us an answer, so I’ve come to the brains in your house. What weekend is he and some of his crew going to start working on my shop?
Logan: He’s being extra today. He can start next weekend. I work most of the weekend so it will keep him outta trouble. I can try to make him behave even more if you add a sandwich for me to their order? Pretty please with sugar on top?
I love him, he’s funny and a great friend. Who knew Asher would turn all alpha when it comes to him?
Me: Duh. I was already going to make you one.
Logan: Thanks lady. I will tell him to stop being an ass. He’ll probably pout ‘cause I’m leaving for work in like 5, but he’ll answer Mick. Love ya chickadee.
Me: Love ya too, Loganloo.
Magically Asher gives Mick an answer just a minute later. We get back into the truck to head home. Mick turns the truck on but doesn’t put it in gear. He looks over at me and asks, “Can we go tell my mom in person right now? She’s gonna be over the moon.” I love that he loves his mom so much and is so excited to tell her. I think Romona is awesome and I couldn’t be happier that she’s gonna be a grandma to our kids. “Yeah we can go tell her. I mean it’s still early on, but with everyone already guessing, I want her to know too.”
Mick pulls up in front of his mom’s place and parks. We both get out and he takes my hand as we walk up to the back door. I don’t think I’ve ever come in the front door in my life. We always park in the back and come in the unlocked back door. She’s more in the country than anyone else so she’s more likely to have deer in her yard than uninvited guests.
We walk in the back door and something feels off. I don’t know what it is, but something’s definitely off. “Mom! Where ya at?” He looks at me as we both listen for her signature answer to him. Nothing. Her SUV was parked out back, so she’s gotta be home.Mick’s never mentioned her dating anybody or anything. “Mom! I wonder if she’s got her headphones on and painting. She hasn’t done that since I still lived at home and she needed to focus. Mom!” We pass through the kitchen and I see a full pot of coffee that looks like it hasn’t been touched this morning. That off feeling is getting stronger. I follow Mick into the living room and go toward her studio in the sunroom. I hear Mick still calling out for her. I look in Mick’s old bedroom and see he’s still got posters and stuff up in that room. I hear Mick scream, “Mom! Mads, call 9-1-1!” I run to where I heard him yell from and see his mom on the floor next to her bed. I dial 9-1-1 as I feel and thankfully, I find a pulse. “She’s still breathing. Mom!” She’s not responsive but she’s breathing. I let the dispatcher know our location and how we’d found her. As soon as I said unresponsive, they got a unit en route to us. They said that we’re lucky ‘cause they just finished a call a few minutes away. As I’m talking to dispatch as they wanted to stay on the line, I grab Mick’s phone out of his pocket and send a text to Pa, Grant, Erik, and Jon. I go to let the ambulance in and when I open the door, I’m so glad to see Logan and his partner, Amanda. I know they know their stuff and it should help reassure Mick. They rush in past me and I hear them talking to Mick. I walk in the doorway, not sure how I can help at this moment. Logan and Amanda work as a well-oiled machine and have Romona hooked up to an IV and machines within the first couple of minutes. They get her onto the stretcher. “Her pulse and O2 are low and with her being non responsive, it’s going to require more tests so we’re gonna take her to the hospital.” She looks between the two of us. “One of you can ride or you both can follow.” I look at Mick and there’s no decision tomake. “Gimme your keys. I’ll lock up and follow you to the hospital. You go with your mom.” He leans over and gives me a quick kiss handing me his keys as I hand him back his phone. He hurries after them and jumps in the back of the rig with Amanda as Logan goes around to drive. He takes off with lights and sirens. I send off a text to the same people plus Ma and Anna from my phone and hurry to the back door, finding the key on Mick’s keys and locking the door. I hurry out to the truck and take off in the direction of the hospital, the whole time praying to the gods that Romona’s okay.
Mick
Amanda is continuing to monitor things and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so helpless. “Talk to her, it helps sometimes for a person to hear a familiar voice, even when they’re not conscious.” I look at her and nod. I take Mom’s hand and start talking, most of it nonsense stuff, but just so she can hear my voice. “Mom, you need to wake up. You got so much more living to do. I need you here. Madison needs you too. Your grandbaby is going to need you.” We got to the hospital faster than I thought possible. As soon as they back up to the ambulance bay, they whisk Mom inside. An older nurse stops me from following the gurney. “You can’t go in there with her. You must be family if you rode in with her. Let me take you to the waiting area while they run some tests. I’ll come out and let you know any updates and when you can see her.” I must look like I’m about to argue, ‘cause she puts her hand on my arm. “Let them see what’s going on with her.Our doctors are excellent and will take care of her.” She shows me to the waiting area. I sit down and not a minute or two later the doors to the waiting area open and Erik, Grant, Pa and Ma all walk in. My girl must have let them know. Erik sees me first and heads over to me. I stand up and he gives me a hug. I can feel the others are right by us. Ma speaks up first. “What happened? Mads’s text didn’t say much.” I sit back down and tell them how we found Mom. By the time I get to the end and that I’m waiting for the nurse, the ER doors open again and Madison rushes through. She looks around and as soon as she sees me she hurries over. “Any update? I got here as fast as I could. Freaking Sheriff Stone pulled me over, but when I told him what was going on, he let me go instantly without any argument.” I tell her no, and she moves to sit next to me, but I need her closer, so I pull her into me and have her sit on my lap. I need her grounding me right now, ‘cause the only thing going through my head is I’m not ready to lose Mom. I want more time with her. I want her to get to be a grandma to our baby.
Anna, Wyatt and Jackson arrive a few minutes later. Anna looks like she’s been crying. She and Mom have been friends since high school. Asher, Jameson, Saxon, Samson and Rory come in next. They all take a seat and wait with us.
After what feels like forever but was probably only forty-five minutes or so, the nurse finally comes out. She looks at everyone around me. “Family of Romona Johanson?” Madison stands up to let me up. “I’m her son, but everyone here is her family.” She takes a second but nods. “Right now it looks like your mom had a myocardial infarction-a heart attack. They are running some more tests to make sure she didn’t also have a stroke, but rightnow it looks like she didn’t. Her heart rate and pulse got so low which is most likely the reason she was unresponsive. The tests will also show if she’s going to need surgery or not. The doctor will be out after they finish a couple more tests. Once we get her settled in a room, I’ll come out and let you know so you can see her.” I nod and I hear my woman thanking the nurse for keeping us updated.
Erik grabs me by the shoulder. “Let’s take a walk outside for a minute.” What the fuck? “I’m not gonna leave when-” He looks at me with what can only be described as a dad look. “We’ll only be gone a few minutes and be just right outside.” Ma touches my arm. “One of us will come get you if anyone comes out. Go with him son.” I look at my girl and she gives me a nod. I walk outside and Erik points toward the bench. I look over and him and wait since this was his fucking idea. “Don’t glare at me like that, I have two perfectly good reasons for having you come out here.” I wave my hand to get him to get on with it. “First, don't go down that road. I know you and I was with you when your dad passed. This ain’t the same thing. His brain was already gone by the time he was brought in here, his body just hadn’t gotten the message. The accident killed him, his body just took an hour to follow. Your mom had a heart attack. She was still breathing when you found her. Don’t compare the two, ‘cause she’s one of the biggest fighters and one of the most stubborn people I’ve met when it comes to you and I don’t see her being ready to leave you just yet. Think positive and know that we’re all here for both you and your mom. You guys are family and we ain’t going anywhere.” I nod ‘cause he’s right. I went right back to that night and running into the ER with Mom and having hope that he was okay and therealization that he was really gone as soon as that semi hit him. “Secondly, don’t be shocked if Captain Stone of the sheriff’s office-one of the older ones, Jason comes here soon.” What? “Why the fuck would he come here?” Erik shakes his head at me. “We all didn’t marry the first person we ever dated. He and your mom dated in high school. They broke up ‘cause he went off to the military after they graduated and she was going to go to art school. By the time he came back after his four years were up, your mom and dad were together and he ended up marrying someone else too. They didn’t end on bad terms and his wife died within a year or two of when your dad died. They ran into each other a few months ago at the diner and have been having coffee fairly often together. I think he’s still very much interested in your mom.”Holy shit.Mom dating? “I mean. I want her to be happy, I just never thought of my mom dating or anything.” Erik looks over at me and rolls his eyes. “Son, your mom ain’t ninety. She’s still got lots of life to live and love to give. Your dad’s been gone for ten years. I think if he makes her happy, then more power to her. You’re never too old for love or at least friendship. I swear you boys think we hit fifty and we need to be put out to pasture or some shit. I hope the sheriff has been rocking her boat and making her happy.” I gagged. I full-on gagged. “Listen fucker. I want Mom happy and if this guy’s friendship or whatever it is, makes her happy, then I’m good with it. I can be an adult about that. I don’teverneed to know about her having sex with anyone. EVER.” I have a full body shake with that thought. Just ew. Erik laughs a full belly laugh at me. “Got ya outta your head though didn’t I?” I nod. “Yeah you did. Thank you for that.” I look at him. “Are you gonna find you somehappiness now that your divorce is almost finalized from the Celest-ercist?” He nods, “Yeah I’m working on that.” I really look at him and realize that he’s seemed lighter lately, around the same time as…oh…ohhh. “Well, I hope whoever they are, they make you happy. You spent years being miserable and you deserve some happiness, whoever it’s with.” I stand up to head back inside, but I can tell he’s studying me and I must give something away without realizing it. “You know.” I can’t help but grin ‘cause he sounds like a teenager that just got caught and is in trouble. “I just put two and two together right now. Don’t worry, I ain’t gonna say anything. You both deserve happiness, just please let me be there when your kids find out ‘cause I can almost guarantee that they’re clueless.” He rolls his eyes at me and changes the subject. “Let’s get back inside fucker. I swear some days I think you’re a mature adult and more like your mom, but then your mouth opens and your dad and all his jackassness comes out.” Walking in I can’t help but ask, “Jackassness?” He glares at me. “I don’t care if it’s not a word, it is when trying to describe your dad. Calling me on my shit and all. He’s been gone for years, yet you manage to bring him back in moments like that. Like I said, jackassness.”
About an hour after she came out with the first update, the nurse and doctor both come out. “Your mother did have a heart attack. She’s got a blockage so we will need to do a bypass. Good news is it looks like it's only going to be a double bypass and not a triple or quadruple. Surgery is scheduled for the first thing in the morning. The specialist I consulted with felt that was the best time for her to have it done. She’s had meds and is being put in a room as we speak. I’ll be checking on her throughout the day andevening, but I think she’s got a good chance at a full recovery, barring anything being discovered during surgery. Nurse Kind here will give you all the rest of the information, but I wanted to come and speak with you myself. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask a nurse to page me. I’m here till midnight.” I shake his hand and thank him. The nurse tells me to give them about twenty minutes and she’s going to be on the second floor. She gives me the room number and tells me that it’s only going to be two people allowed at a time. As soon as the nurse goes back behind the closed door the ER doors open up and an officer walks in. He looks like he could be my mom’s age and I can see when he sees Pa he walks over to our group. Pa asks what we all wanna know. “What brings you here Captain Stone?” He rubs his face and puts his hands on his hips, with his head bowed before he looks back up at Pa. “It’s just Jason and Jonah I think you know.” He looks at our group and stops at me. “You’ve got your mom’s eyes. I know she hasn’t told you, hell my kids don’t know either yet, but she and I have been spending time together again. We dated in high school and realized we still have a lot in common, maybe more than we had in high school.” I look up at him, and I can see his fine etched lines around his eyes. Mom always says that means a person has laughed a lot in their life. “Hey, if spending time with you makes Mom happy, that’s all I want. You treat her how she should be treated and you and I will have no problems.” He nods and takes a breath, like he was worried. Shows me he wants her family’s approval and that goes a long way with me. He looks at me again. “How is she?” We make room for him to have a seat and fill him in on what we know. “I’d like to go in and see her myself with my girl first butas soon as I see she’s okay, you’re welcome to come sit with her and see for yourself.” He nods and mumbles a thank you.
Seeing Mom in that hospital bed with machines all around her was harder than I thought it would be. Madison never let go of my hand, being my quiet strength. We sit with her for a few minutes and she starts to stir. I watch her wake up. “Mom?” She looks over at me, with a furrowed brow. “What? Why am I here?” I squeeze her hand and a nurse walks in and checks the machines and tells Mom about what happened and what’s planned. Mom looks at me. “You get Anna to come and check my chart, she’ll know what questions to ask, okay?” Madison speaks up next to me. “I’ll go get her and send her back now so she can look at your chart and speak to the nurse with you guys.” I squeeze her hand and she squeezes mine back, stands up and goes out the door. I look back at Mom. “You scared the shit out of me, Mom.” She gives me a small smile. “I just like to keep you on your toes, son. You found me?” I nod. “What were you guys doing coming over that early? Not that I mind you coming over, obviously today it was a very good thing for you to do.” I don’t think my girl will be upset if I tell her. “Well we came to tell you that you’re gonna be a grandma.” To watch the smile come over her face, it means everything. “You’re gonna have a baby? My boy is gonna be a dad!” I squeeze her hand. “I am and that means you gotta get this surgery and get better. Your grandbaby is gonna want to know their grandma.” She glares at me. “I’m not gonna be grandma, Nana sounds better, don’t ya think?” A voice comes from the doorway. “Sounds like a good name to me. Sounds like a name that needs to be called out for years, so youneed to get your ass better woman.” Anna glares at Mom, in a way that a decades-long friendship allows. She walks over and starts fussing with the IVs all around Mom. She looks at Mom after she’s fixed things the way she seems to want them. “What have we discussed, Romona? You are stuck with me and we agreed not to keel over till we’re at least eighty-five and we've got lots of years till then!” That makes Mom grin. “Jeez woman. You act like I planned for my ticker to go haywire. They’re gonna go in and fix me up in the morning and I’m gonna be right as rain. I gots a grandbaby to plan for.” I kinda zone out on their banter. They’ve done this for as long as I can remember. My phone dings with an incoming text.
My love: The sheriff—Jason guy—is getting antsy. I swear his knee is bouncing faster every second. When Anna’s done, I’m gonna send him back. Ma wants after him. Do you need anything?
Me: I’m good. Mom’s good right now. You said yes to marrying me and you’re having our baby. I’m good. I’ll come out so Ma can come in with Anna still here, then we can let Mister Anxious man in.
My love: Sounds good. I’ll let them know. See you in a minute…love you
I get up and start to tell Mom that I’m gonna go let Ma and her gentleman friend in when there’s noise at the door. Standing in the doorway is Ma. “You know that two-person bullshit doesn’t count for us. Besides, only having three people here is as closeto two people as we can get in this family. Now, woman. You need to tell your heart to get in line and start ticking correctly. You got shit to do here still and we gotta get time together to love on our shared grandbaby.” She glances over at me and must see something that reassures her, because she keeps going. “We also gotta plan a wedding between our kids so we can officially become in-laws.” They banter for a few more minutes and then tell Mom they’ll be back here tomorrow to wait while she’s in surgery. The two of them head back to the waiting room.
“One more person is about to come visit you.” Mom looks over at me and waits for me to continue. “A certain captain in the sheriff’s office seems to be very concerned about you.” I swear Mom blushes, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her blush before. “Yep. He seems to be quite taken with you too.” I take her hand again, wanting her to get how serious I am. “I know you loved Dad. He knew it too, but he’s been gone a good long while. If this Jason guy makes you happy and treats you right, you deserve it. Mom, if he does that then I’m happy for you. Your happiness is what matters. I won’t see it as a slight against Dad or anything you might be thinking.”
I can see she’s got some unshed tears in her eyes. “Love you, son. You make me proud every day.”
