Page 8 of Ice Melts

“She’s going to be fine this time, but… you know what the doctors said. This isn’t going away. We just have to be ready.”

He clenched his jaw, the words settling heavy in his chest. “I know.”

They hung up, and as he climbed into his car, his phone buzzed again. This time, it was a text from Sarah.

Tatum told me about your mom. Do you think it would be okay if I came to visit her?

He stared at the screen for a moment, a lump forming in his throat. Sarah had always been close to his family—she and Tatum had been inseparable growing up—but lately, things had felt strained.

Yeah, I think she’d like that. I’m heading there now.

I’ll meet you there.

He drove to the hospital in silence, his mind racing. By the time he arrived, Tatum was already in their mom’s room, sitting by the bed and holding her hand.

Their mom, Susan Jenkins, looked tired but managed a smile when Travis walked in.

“There’s my boy,” she said, her voice soft but warm.

He leaned down to hug her, careful not to disturb the wires and tubes. “How are you feeling, Mom?”

“Like I’ve been hit by a truck,” she said with a small laugh. “But I’ll live to fight another day.”

Tatum rolled her eyes. “She’s been cracking jokes all morning.”

“That’s how you know she’s okay,” Travis said, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

A knock at the door made them all look up, and Sarah stepped in, holding a small bouquet of flowers.

“Hi, Mrs. Jenkins,” she said, her voice gentle.

“Sarah!” Susan’s face lit up, and she reached out a hand. “Come here, sweetheart.”

Sarah set the flowers on the bedside table and leaned in to hug her. “How are you doing?”

“Oh, you know,” Susan said with a wave of her hand. “Just keeping the nurses on their toes.”

They all laughed, and for a moment, the heaviness in the room lifted.

The visit passed in a blur of stories and laughter, Susan sharing memories from their childhood that had them all grinning. But beneath the smiles, there was an unspoken understanding: this wasn’t just another hospital stay. The clock was ticking, and they all knew it.

When Susan drifted off to sleep, they slipped out of the room to let her rest. The three of them found a quiet corner in the hospital cafeteria, the sterile smell of disinfectant mingling with the scent of burnt coffee.

Tatum stirred her tea absently, her expression distant. “Do you think we’ll still be able to do the Italy trip?”

Travis leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face. “I don’t know. It feels like bad timing, but Mom keeps saying we should go.”

“She’s been talking about the Dolomites since we were kids,” Sarah said, her voice soft. “I think she wants us to go, even if she can’t.”

Tatum nodded, but her eyes filled with tears. “It’s just hard, you know? Knowing she might not…” She trailed off, her voice breaking.

Travis reached across the table, squeezing her hand. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of everything settling over them.

“Remember her cookies?” Sarah said suddenly, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Tatum sniffed, wiping her eyes. “The ones she used to make for bake sales?”

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