She’s silent for a moment. She won’t hold a grudge, but I know I’ve hurt her feelings, and that makes me ten kinds of an asshole.
“How bad is her condition?” she asks quietly.
I blow out a breath and relax back in my seat.
“It’s bad. According to her doctor, if she doesn’t get a new kidney, she won’t survive past six months.”
She sucks in a harsh breath. “Poor child. To be so young and have to fight to live. Trouble said you have matching blood types.”
“Yeah. We’re waiting on the final test results to come in. Her doctor wants to set up the surgery immediately once they do.”
“I wish you had told me about her before you left. I would like to have met her.”
Another shot of guilt settles in my stomach. I should have taken Ellie and Maisy by to see Mae. Just in case….
I push that thought away. Maisy will be okay. There is no ‘just in case’.
“Once Maisy’s well enough to travel, she and Ellie are moving to Malus. I’ll make sure your house is the first place we visit,” I tell her.
“Make sure you do. You don’t want me to hunt you down.”
I chuckle. I have no doubt there’ll be hell to pay if I don’t bring the two to see her.
“Ellie. That name sounds familiar,” she muses. “She’s the one you were seeing before you and the boys moved back to Sweet Haven, right?”
Mae only met Ellie a few times. She pulled me to the side the first time and told me Ellie was a keeper. By that point, I already knew she was, but I also knew I couldn’t keep her.
“Yes.”
“I always liked that girl. It was a shame things didn’t work out.”
I never told Mae how things ended between Ellie and me. I knew she would try to talk me out of it; something I couldn’t let happen.
“What’s Maisy like?”
A smile tips up my lips. “She’s amazing. She’s got long, curly brown hair. My eye color and the same indent I have in my chin. She’s smart too. Smarter than other kids her age. She acts shy, but I’m not sure if it’s just me or if that’s her personality.”
“She sounds lovely, Judge,” she says after a sniff. “You just make sure she gets well so I can meet my granddaughter.”
“You know I’ll do everything in my power to make that possible.”
“I know you will.” I get to my feet, anxious to go back out to the living room. “Listen, I really didn’t mean to keep this from you.”
She clears her throat. “I know. It was just a shock. I can’t imagine how big of one it was for you.”
“Yeah.”
“I expect an explanation when you get back as to why she waited so long to tell you.” Her voice is stern. I’m not the only one affected by what Ellie did.
“I’ll let you know what happened as soon as I return. But Mae, don’t be too hard on her. Her reasons were valid. I’m still pissed she kept Maisy from me, but I understand better why she did.”
After a promise to let her know when the surgery is, we hang up. I take a couple of minutes to gather my thoughts before leaving the bedroom. Maisy is still playing her video game, so I make my way back to the couch to watch her. Before I can retake my seat, her sweet voice rings out.
“You wanna play?”
I freeze in place and glance at her. She’s still facing the TV, but her game is paused. My gaze flickers down, and I notice a second controller sitting beside her on the floor. It wasn’t there earlier so she must have gotten up to get it after I left the room. Something I’ve never felt before forms in my stomach. Something that feels suspiciously like… butterflies. I’m a fucking grown man and I’m feeling butterflies in my stomach. How pathetic is that shit?
“Sure,” I edge closer to her. “But I’ve never played this game before, so you’ll have to teach me.”