Page 68 of Love me, Maddie Mendoza

“They changed everything, Z.” Maddie’s cheeks were squished between my hands. I pressed them further, making her lips look like a beak.

“We’ll put everything back in place.”

“They’re all over mom and…” She met my eyes. “They’re asking for your mom to return the pajamas.”

“Yes, because they want a different material. That’s alright. Mom will welcome the distraction.”

“But…” She tried again.

“I got you yarn.” I interrupted.

Her eyebrows shot up. “You did?”

“Yes. I’m in a dire need of a hat.”

Maddie relaxed and I let her face go. In a second, her arms molded around me, taking me in a hug. “I’m just panicking for the wrong reason, right?”

“Just don’t panic at all.”

She giggled in my chest, and a weight disappeared from my heart. The rest of the day, I took my job of keeping Maddie sane seriously. The sisters kept making changes to the house, but I wouldn’t let Maddie concentrate on that. As I said to Xiomara, being loved wasn’t that difficult.

I drove mom around again so she could exchange the pajamas from silk to cotton because Carmen said the hospital was drafty. I got few messages from Nick and Jason asking about the surgery, but I had no updates to give them. Even when Jay offered to come around for Maddie, I had to shut it down. It was going to be too many people in the hospital’s waiting room as it was, and the uncles weren’t even here yet.

At mom’s last stop, I went in with her, since they had a craft section. I picked up more yarn for Maddie, so she could have something to do in the hospital, and I found a starter kit for embroidery.

Like the other days, I ate with my parents at home. Silvia was incredibly disappointed when I told her I wasn’t staying, but I wanted to be with mom a little longer. It was hard to know how she was doing between errands.

“Do you think we can go to the hospital, too?” she asked Dad as we all sat around the table.

“Probably it’s for the best. If someone starts a fight…” Dad replied.

Maybe just a heated argument.

“Xio would feel better if you’re there.” I added.

Mom bit her lip with a crease between her brow. “Are you staying with Maddie?”

I forked my food and nodded. Of course, where the hell would I be?

Mom nodded too, talking more to herself. “That’s right, she needs you now more than ever…”

Dad tsked. “She will be fine. We don’t even know if it’s cancer, yet. You can’t let Xio’s family run amok with theories…”

Mom gasped. “So you heard about Elena’s friend with the dead foot, too?”

“Dead foot?” I grimaced.

Dad rolled his eyes. “I heard many things Elena said over the years, even though I wish I didn’t. There’s no dead foot.” He said in a final tone.

Mom wasn’t a fan of Dad’s tone. She passed her hands over her lilac blouse, with her nose upright. “Well, it’s still a surgery, Marcus. We have to pray for…”

“And we will pray.” Dad agreed. “And will do as much as we can for them. Just because I don’t entertain this kind of talk, doesn’t mean I’m not worried about Xio. You know me better than that, Mara.”

Mom closed her eyes in acceptance. Her hand came to clasp Dad’s over the dinner table.

I ate a little more. “So, what about the dead foot?”

After the meal, I kissed mom’s forehead and jumped upstairs, surprised when I saw the lights of my bedroom already on. I frowned and opened the door at once just to find Maddie in my bed, legs crossed, crocheting with the yarn I got her.

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