Page 44 of Starlight & Dark Nights

“Do you think that’s a real possibility? Did you ever hear him say anything negative about her?”

Jude shakes her head. “No. I did overhear my dad and Bea having a conversation late at night on a few occasions, and she had plenty of choice things to say about my mother, but my father held his tongue.”

The girls choose this moment to come in, and Faith is wearing an overly dramatic pout. “Mama?” she says. “Can I have the big piece of chicken tonight?”

This nearly makes Jude laugh out loud; what eight-year-old girl needs a giant hunk of chicken? But instead of laughing, she holds out both hands and her girls come to her, letting her hug them to her body.

“You both get equal pieces of chicken,” she says, kissing each girl on top of the head in turn. “Daddy gets the biggest one because he worked hard all day.”

“Ha!” Hope says to her sister. “Told you.”

Vance chuckles. “You two go wash your hands and faces and come back to the table, okay?”

The girls never disobey Vance, so they run off to do as he’s asked, and Jude is alone with her husband again.

“Listen,” Vance says, turning to wash his own hands at the kitchen sink. “No matter what happened to your mom, I know she loved you—and she still does. If you want to find her too, then find her. Ask this guy to search for her, and go all out to make it happen.”

The girls come rushing in and take their places at the table, putting their napkins in their laps as they’ve been taught to do.

“Are you sure?” Jude asks. “I mean, I can use my own money for that as well, but do you think it’s too much change all at once?”

Vance blows out a breath, letting his cheeks puff out. He puts his hands on his hips as he considers this. “Sure, it’s a lot of change. Yeah. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned lately,” he says, shooting a glance at his daughters as if they might pick up on the fact that he’s referring to a major tragedy. “It’s that life is short. Too short, sometimes. And you have to grab ahold of the things that bring you joy where you can.”

Jude nods vigorously. He’s right. Of course he’s right. Vance, her voice of reason, her rock, her beloved husband. She’d loved him from the first time they spoke, and it was never an option for her to do anythingbutlove him. Whatever feelings she’d had for Catherine had been shelved and mostly forgotten as Jude had chosen the path she knew was right for her.

In fact, she’sstillsure it’s the right one for her, but she’s got some loops to close. There are just a few things that she needs to put to rest, and with Vance’s encouragement, she’s going to do just that.

CHAPTER19

Maxine

The baby!Oh, the baby!

Maxine shoots up in bed as a lightning bolt of pain rockets through her body. Almost improbably, a matching lightning bolt cracks the dark night sky outside of her bedroom window.

“Ryan!” Maxine says, calling for her son. “Ryan, I need you!” she rasps.

When there is no answer, Maxine swings her legs over the side of the bed and searches with her bare feet to find her slippers. It’s been several months since she could see her own feet, so she’s grown accustomed to working without the visual cues of her own body. “Ryan!” she tries again.

Maxine opens the door to her bedroom and feels her way along the hallway in the darkness. The only thing that helps her to see what’s around her is the bolt of lightning that illuminates the house. Again, a matching physical shock runs through her, and she nearly doubles over.

“Ryan?” Maxine says tentatively, turning the knob on her son’s bedroom door. She cracks it open fearfully, thinking for some irrational reason that she might find his bed empty, but when her eyes adjust to the darkness, she sees his familiar sandy blonde head resting against the white pillowcase. His eyes are closed.

Maxine desperately needs someone to call for an ambulance or to help her get to the couch, but the mother in her can’t bear to wake her sleeping child. Instead, she feels her way back along the wall, panting and breathing from her mouth as beads of sweat spring up on her brow. She’ll make it to the couch on her own, and hopefully if she breathes carefully and focuses on something intensely, she can hold this baby in until morning when her children awaken and can help her.

“Oh!” Maxine cries out, wincing in pain. A hot gush of liquid streams down her inner thighs, and she knows that waiting will not be an option.

With heaving, labored breaths, Maxine makes it to her kitchen phone, where she dials the Majors next door.

“Vance,” she says through gritted teeth when Jude’s husband answers. “It’s Maxine. Next door. The baby—“ But she can’t say more, as the pain starts to take her like a wave that’s trying to drown her. “Vance, help,” she finally manages to get out.

In under one minute, there is heavy pounding on her front door.

“Maxine!” Vance shouts. “It’s Vance. Let me in!”

Maxine is on her hands and knees on the living room carpet, and she forces herself to crawl—albeit slowly—to the front door.

“I’m trying,” she says with tears in her voice. “I’m trying to stand, Vance.”

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