For The Love Of Skating
Madeline Fay
Contents
Untitled
Copyright @ 2020 Madeline Fay
Published by Madeline Fay
Prologue
1. Kat
2. Granger
3. Kat
4. Granger
5. Kat
6. Kat
7. Granger
8. Kat
9. Granger
10. Kat
11. Granger
12. Kat
13. Granger
14. Kat
15. Granger
16. Kat
17. Granger
18. Kat
19. Granger
20. Kat
21. Kat
22. Granger
23. Kat
24. Granger
25. Kat
26. Granger
27. Kat
28. Granger
29. Kat
Six Months Later
Stalking links for Madeline Fay
Untitled
For The Love Of Skating
Copyright @ 2020 Madeline Fay
For the Love of Skating
First publication: June 20th, 2020
Cover design paperback by Victoria Schaefer of EVE’s Garden of Eden
Editing by Bookish Dreams Editing
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Madeline Fay
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Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Describe your perfect date.
That’s a tough one.
I’d have to say April 25th.
Because it’s not too hot and not too cold.
All you need is a light jacket.
Prologue
Beep.
Beep.
A long pause between each heartbeat has me jumping out of the reclining hospital chair in a rush and banging my shin against the lowered bed railing. My frantic blurry eyes are searching for the monitor in the small, cold sanitized room. I quickly rub away the sleep from my tired eyes as my legs carry me over in a dazed state to the corner of the room behind her bedside table to check her heartbeat rhythm.
Beep…beep…beep.
The heartbeats are spreading further apart every few seconds, and my stomach drops as the reality that this is happening sets in. I know what this means, but I can’t quite accept it. I’m not going to! Everything is going to change.
I can feel her staring at my hunched shoulders from behind, so I relax them with a deep breath for her benefit and swirl around to face her while trying to give her a smile. She always said my smile is made of sunshine and brightens up any room. The moment I make eye contact, the tears I’m desperately trying to hold back fill my eyes to the brim. As each tear splashes on the cold tiled floors, I feel a bit of my heart slip away with them. She holds her arms out to me, and a choked sob escapes me as I run to her bedside. As I climb in, I notice her breathing is shallow and weak, but she has the strength to hold me as tight as she can in her frail arms. We wrap our arms around each other and lie side by side while we say our last goodbyes. I’m not ready, but the choice was taken away from us. My head tucks under her chin as I attempt to hide my crying, but surely, she feels my tears splash against her thin, fragile body. Her finger hooks under my chin to bring my gaze up to her, and she offers a watery smile. She has no fear in her eyes, only acceptance of what’s happening. She slides her weak hand through my blonde locks and cups my cheek, smoothing away the tears that keep trailing down my face.
“There she is. My sweet Kat. I’m here, I’m always going to be right here for you,” she croaks out while placing her hand over my heart. I sob uncontrollably, gasping for each breath.
“Mom, please.” I’m not sure who I’m really begging to. Maybe to her to not give up, or for God to let her stay. I need her here with me always.
A sad tender smile over takes her face as her eyes drift shut, then she laces our hands together and places them between us.
“Don’t stop going after your dreams, sweet girl, and know I’m by your side every step of the way. I love you,” she rasps out in a soft whisper that I barely hear.
I don’t know how long we lie there side by side—it could be minutes or hours—but eventually, the monitor slows until I can’t hear her heartbeats any longer. I climb off the bed on weak, shaking legs and bend down to kiss her forehead one last time with my tears splashing on her face.
“I love you, mom. ” My voice comes out choked, and I only look back once more before stepping towards the door that leads out into the dimly lit hallway. As Nurse Angie walks by, I reach my hand out to stop her. She’s been my mom’s nurse for the past six months, and she’ll have to know. She made sure she was comfortable and gave me the peace of being with Mom in her final moments.
“Have you seen my father?” My voice is barely there, a catch in the breeze among the quiet hallway.
With an expression full of pity around her crinkled eyes and sadness impressed on her lips, she shakes her head no. I wrap my arms around myself and nod back before croaking out, “My mom—” I can’t say she’s gone, because I’m unable to speak past the lump in my throat.
“My condolences, Miss Whitmore. I’ll handle everything and take care of her for you. I’m sorry for your loss,” she says with her hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly before letting go. I offer a watery smile that slips and a quiet thank you before turning around, feeling her pitying gaze follow my retreating form.
As I
