Page 81 of Fake Love

What if that person doesn’t see how much this man loves his mother and doesn’t stand by his side if he loses her so young?

I don’t want to think about it.

Maddox must have sensed that we might need to talk about something else, because he clears his throat and changes the subject.

“Ma, what time is your appointment tomorrow?” Maddox asks.

My stomach falls a bit at the subject he chose to talk about, but we can’t avoid it.

I’ve seen pictures of Nora from before last year, how full of life she looked. In every single picture that I found of her online to the pictures that Maddox showed me, she looked like she could take on the world.

When we walked into her house that’s how I expected to see her, but it wasn’t.

Nora is stronger now that she looked in those pictures but in a different type of way. In the type of way that she needs to battle this cancer. Nora Bauer is gorgeous but the brain tumors are definitely taking a heavy toll on her.

“At nine.” Nora answers her son with a tight smile.

I can tell just by that smile that she doesn’t like talking about what is going on with her.

“I’ll go with you,” Maddox announces, which has Nora shaking her head.

“No need, I can handle a small doctor's appointment. Besides, Jen is here. Take her to see the city or something.”

“Mom.” Maddox throws back.

We’ve been here for half a day and the whole time Maddox has only called his mom Ma.

I may have only known him for a few short months, but even I know that he uses the word mom, that he’s trying to be serious.

“Don’t ‘mom’ me, Maddox.” I guess I was right about the word mom. “You have a guest. No way in well am I going to let you leave her here all by herself while you take me to the doctor. That’s not very nice.” Nora throws back at her son.

My eyes move between the two of them as they stare each other down. After about thirty seconds, Maddox drops his mom stare and turns to look me.

There is pain in his eyes with maybe a little hint of fear. Without saying a word, I know just how important it is for him to go to her appointment and with his eyes he is asking for help.

So I turn to Nora. “Nora, I can stay here. It’s fine. I have work to do anyways, I won’t even notice that I’m here alone.”

She is already shaking her head before I even finish. “Nope, not happening. He can stay with you. I’m a big girl, I can go to a stupid doctor’s appointment. Pretty sure all they will tell me is that the tumors aren’t growing and that they will monitor me for another month. Doubt that they will even mention surgery.”

Nora sounds angry and she has every right to be.

“Then me and Jen will both go with you. I don’t give a shit if the doctors tell you that they are waiting until Christmas, I will be in that room.”

Maddox's tone is affirmative and final, which causes the room to go completely still. Well everything but Nora’s tightening grip on my hand.

The mother and son stare each other down and I’m just sitting here my eyes flip flopping back and forth.

I don’t know if I should continue to sit here or if I should get up and let them handle this by themselves. This is definitely a family matter and I’m nowhere close to being family.

I’m about to get up from my seat when Nora finally drops my hands before clearing her throat.

“Fine but you’re taking us to get pizza afterwards,” Nora gets up from her seat and starts to walk away before sticking out her tongue at her son.

I love that even with such a serious topic flowing around, Nora is still able to find a way to bring a smile to her son’s face.

It may be small but Maddox is wearing a smile as his mom leaves the room.

The smile falls a bit as soon as it’s the two of us, telling me that going to the doctors appointment is going to be hard for him.

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