“I’m not hurt. Just help me up, please,” Ms. Shima instructed.
I quickly picked her up and placed her on the bed.
“Thank you, Ty,” both women said simultaneously.
“Of course.”
MADALEE
“Momma, what happened?”
“I’m sorry. I thought I could make it to the bathroom. I felt strong going but coming back, I didn’t make it,” Momma explained.
“Did you bump your head? Do I need to take you to the hospital? Urgent care? Should I call an ambulance?”
I gave her the once over while pulling the covers over her.
“Madalee, I’m fine. The only thing I hurt was my pride. I fell in slow motion, so I was able to brace myself.”
After taking a deep, cleansing breath, I blew it out, trying to calm my nerves.
“Mads, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“If I felt any pain or discomfort, I would tell you. The way I fell would’ve been funny had I been able to get back up. My legs gave out one at a time.”
Nothing was humorous about my mother falling.
“Baby, I’m okay. I’m sorry I took you away from your company.”
“Momma, you don’t get to apologize for needing me.”
“Go ahead. I’m fine. Tell Ty I said thank you again.”
Looking around, I realized Ty had left the room. I wasn’t sure if my mother and I had run him off. I was sure he was in my studio collecting his things so he could leave.
“Okay, I will. Good night or good morning,” I said.
Closing my mother’s bedroom door behind me, I turned the corner to head back to the studio and found Ty sitting at the kitchen table.
“Hey,” he said as he stood. “Does she need to go to the hospital? Is she okay?”
“She said she’s fine,” I choked out before bursting into tears.
Ty pulled me into his arms and held me just like he’d done earlier. I cried, thinking about how bad it could’ve been if my mother would’ve fallen in the bathroom and hit her head or fallen backward and hurt herself on the dresser.
“Hey,” Ty soothingly said. “Stop thinking about what if. She’s okay.”
It was like he’d read my mind.
“I wouldn’t blame you if you ran out of here and never looked back.”
“I’m not running anywhere.”
* * *
Slightly rolling after waking up,I felt a hard body next to me. Tiberius was still asleep. Feeling the weight of the extreme highs and lows I’d experienced, He and I had laid down on my bed. We held each other and talked well into the morning.