Page 30 of Ask Your Mom If I'm Real

It was Mary’s paradise.

I stopped in front of the last jars she’d canned.

I had no idea whether they were still good or not.

I didn’t care as I pulled down a jar labeled “applesauce.”

I pulled off the cap with my fingernails and brought the glass up to my nose and inhaled.

The wave of homesickness—Mary being my home—hit me so hard that I swayed.

Chapter

Sixteen

Oh, what fun, it is to ride…

—Dixie to Mary

DIXIE

Past

Mary sat nervously on the sofa as she waited for the kids to arrive.

Lisa and her husband Dean, were the first to arrive, followed shortly by our John and his wife, Susan. Rob, though our Annie was no longer there with him, was third to arrive, followed swiftly by Mark and Patty.

At first, the atmosphere didn’t really click with them, all of them too busy catching up to notice that Mary was sitting on the arm of the sofa, looking worried.

Then Patty spotted her mom and said, “Mom?”

That’s when the others caught the mood and shifted.

“What’s wrong?” Rob asked pointedly, nervousness making him twitchy.

We’d loved Rob for Annie.

We’d loved Annie for Rob.

Rob had no family but us, which sucked, because if anyone deserved to be loved, it was Rob.

He was such a good dad, and supportive.

“Dad?” Dean pushed when we didn’t say anything.

I took my wife’s hand and said, “Your mom got some bad news today.”

Dean leaned forward just as Patty gasped, “What?”

Mary closed her eyes as dismay took over her features.

I looked away so I didn’t follow suit.

“Your mother went in for a routine appointment and they found out that she has cancer,” I said quietly. “It’s bad.”

“How bad?” John asked.

His wife caught his hand and squeezed.

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