“Love you too.” She hung up and stepped over to Libby, gathering her into a hug. “Thank you for coming. I’m sorry if I scared you.”
“Everything is okay?”
“Everything is great,” Willa said, moving back and smiling. She wasn’t entirely sure that was true, but she could still walk and she was still breathing. So yes. For right now, everything was great.
As she followed Etta and Libby out to the car and let Etta deal with Chaz, all she could do was pray that the Lord would be as merciful and kind to Montana and Bishop as He’d been to her and Cactus.
Chapter 26
Etta rolled over in bed, the light coming in her window greeting her on the first day of her thirty-seventh year on the earth. She smiled into the white light, hoping today was one of the most amazing days of her life.
She hadn’t particularly enjoyed her birthday over the past couple of years, because all it did was mark another year alone. Another year older, and closer to being barren. Another year without all of the things she wanted.
After picking up her phone, she found she had dozens of texts. She hadn’t been expecting anything less, actually. She tapped on Ida’s first, because her twin should be the first person she texted on their shared birthday too.
Etta was older than Ida by six minutes, and she smiled at her sister’s messages of cake, lunch at their favorite restaurant, and “the best year yet!”
I want dessert first today, Etta sent. And yes, this is going to be our year!
She navigated back to her main screen and sent smiles and hearts to Ward, Ranger, and Ace, all of whom had texted her before six a.m. Now that May had arrived, so had the summer temperatures, and everyone who worked outside got up with first light and worked in the coolest part of the day. Anyone with any sense at all, that was.
Several of her cousins had texted, and Etta sent them the same emojis. At the bottom, the very last unread text had come in very first overnight. It was from Mother, and Etta’s eyes filled with tears as she read the timestamp on the message. Three-fourteen in the morning.
Mother had been texting her and Ida at that time on their birthdays every day since she’d learned how to use a cellphone. Well, Etta got a text at three-fourteen. Ida got one at three-twenty a.m.
Mom, Etta typed out. I can’t believe you were up in the middle of the night to send this. I love you so much, and I hope to be as good of a mother as you’ve been one day.
She couldn’t believe how emotional such a statement made her, but she found herself silently weeping as she sent the text.
Happy birthday, darling, Mother said. Enjoy your lunch with Ida. Perhaps we could go tomorrow.
Etta tapped on her home button and went to her calendar to see what tomorrow held for her. She always took her birthday off, and because she and Ida arranged their own schedule with the schools and community programs, they could do that.
I can do lunch tomorrow, she sent to her mother.
Maybe you’ll have a new ring to show me.
Etta’s pulse positively stopped. Just came to a screeching halt. “What?” she said out loud, her fingers frozen above her screen. She hadn’t even thought about August proposing to her on her birthday.
In fact, she immediately recoiled against the idea, and she tapped to call Mother. “Hello, dear.” Her mom’s voice shook, and that was a side-effect of one of her heart medications. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could take to stop or slow the dementia, but she had been working with an art therapist who’d had great results in retaining or refreshing memory.
She came to Nestled Hollow, the assisted living facility where Mother lived, and Ida had made sure Mother had been attending the classes. Not only that, but they had an animal therapist come every week too, and as Mother had always loved dogs, she’d been benefitting from simply holding a little, white dog on her lap and telling it all about her life.
“Mother,” she said. “Did you encourage August to propose today?”
“Of course not.” She sounded lucid and firm, and Etta sat up in bed to hear her better.
“But he came with Ranger and Ward last week,” Etta pressed. “Are you sure you didn’t say anything to him?”
“I wondered when the wedding might be, that’s all.”