Cade meant every word of what he said to the women and they seemed to take it to heart. The conversation steered back to Mercy Springs and the Anderson girls growing up. Cade asked where the girls’ parents lived now or if they still lived here in town. He saw a shadow move across Francie’s face and immediately regretted his question.
“Our parents died 8 years ago. They were killed in a head on collision by a drunk driver in Atlanta. Kresley was in the car with them. She was just 22 years old. I was 24, Gertie 20 and Birdie just 18”, Francie stated softly with a faraway look in her eyes.
Cade stiffened at this new information about Kresley and her parents, feeling pain for Kresley and her sisters at losing their parents so young and also for Kresley being in the wrecked vehicle. “Was Kresley seriously hurt?”, Cade softly asked Francie, needing to know how effected Kresley was by what happened.
“Kres had a broken leg and cuts from broken glass, but she was blessed to be alive, according to the officers on scene and the ER doctors after. The car was actually upside down and Kresley was trapped in the back seat in her seat belt. My parents were both up front and still alive after it happened. Kresley had a 60 second conversation with each of them before their injuries overtook them. First my dad, and then my mom. Both knew they were probably dying and Kresley sat there, hanging upside down, and listened to them say their final goodbyes to each other and to Kresley and us. By the time help arrived and cut Kresley out, it was too late. Kresley watched them both bleed out, holding hands. It haunts her still. She has nightmares sometimes. She often makes remarks that if she had done more, had changed this, done that, that our parents would still be alive. This time of year is always hardest for us because the anniversary of their death is in 5 days. Kresley always becomes a little more distant, sad, sullen. It’s hard to get her out of that kind of funk usually. She works longer hours and mostly keeps to herself on the day it happened. It was good to see a smile on her face when she saw you tonight. Maybe you can help her fight her way through another year of sadness, yeah?”
Cade walked over to Francie and pulled her out of her chair. He then hugged her tight to him and said quietly into the top of her head, “I promise that I will do my best to see her through any sadness that comes her way. Thank you for telling me all of that. I doubt she would have mentioned it to me right now. I’m right, aren’t I?” Francie nodded against his shoulder and squeezed him in return, then sat back down.
Grace broke up the solemn mood by stating to Francie that Jaxson had another girlfriend again. Francie snorted and said that boy was going to be the death of his mama. Cade wondered who Jaxson was and at his look of curiosity, Grace explained that Jaxson is her 6-year-old son and thought he was every girl’s dream in a man already at his age. Cade smiled at that and stated to Grace not to worry, that Jaxson would soon find out that wasn’t the case and the girls around him would be the one educating him. Grace laughed and agreed. She stated that it was hard to raise a boy without his dad around, but she was doing her best. Cade asked where Jaxson’s dad was and Grace bluntly stated that she had no idea. She explained that when she found out she was pregnant, her boyfriend of three years decided that he didn’t want to be a father or a boyfriend and took off with no way to reach him. Grace hadn’t been able to find him and had stopped looking after Jaxson turned one. Cade just shook his head. He couldn’t understand how a man could ignore his own child that way. Only cowards could ignore something as beautiful as a child.
They became quiet as the nurse wheeled Kresley back into the cubicle. Cade could look at her face and see that she was exhausted and hurting far worse than what she pretended for other’s benefit. She had dark circles under her eyes and when she smiled, it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She was pale.
“I hope you didn’t wait on me to eat, Cade. I’m sure you were starving”, Kresley stated to him as he picked her up and put her back into bed. No protest from her this time. Cade then turned around and asked the nurse if they had given Kresley any pain meds at all for her headache since she arrived. The nurse looked at the chart and stated no. He asked that the doctor prescribe something and bring it while Kresley ate.
“I can talk for myself Cade”, Kresley stated in a slightly agitated voice.
“Really? Then I’m guessing that you’ve already asked for some meds for the headache that is pretty harsh if I’m reading your face right.”
Kresley could hear the asshole creeping into his voice. “No, I haven’t. I didn’t think I needed any. The headache hasn’t been so bad. I didn’t want to worry anyone”, Kresley softly said as she laid her head back on the pillows.
“Being a martyr isn’t okay with me, baby. Which is exactly why I asked the nurse for some meds for you. If you aren’t going to take care
