Free A Second Chance by Bernadette Marie

isn’t going to
help her if you’re upset.”
    “ I know, I know. But damnit,
she should have told me she was sick. I bought Ed a damn phone just
for this reason, and he lies to me.”
    “ She doesn’t want to upset
you.”
    “ Well, it doesn’t seem to be
working, does it?” He pulled into the parking lot of the drugstore.
“She can’t die,” he said on a sigh.
    “ Carlos, she’s already past
the hardest part. What did they say about the results?”
    “ They got all of the tumor.
They said it looks good for her and she’ll finish her round of
chemo.”
    “ The chemo is keeping
everything at bay and killing off anything that might have
lingered. Soon she’ll be able to have the reconstruction done and
she’ll feel and look more normal. That will help her recovery. When
she looks normal, her attitude will brighten. But for now she needs
you and the kids to just be pillars of strength.”
    “ You’re right.
Thanks.”
    “ You’re welcome. Hey, why
don’t you see if she’ll come to Mom and Dad’s on Sunday for dinner.
Maybe mom can get her to eat.”
    “ Yeah, maybe I
will.”
    “ I love you, Bro. Take care
of yourself too.”
    “ I will,” he promised before
hanging up and walking into the store.
    He was directed to the medicines and
herbs. He wasn’t sure what the hell he was doing, but he gathered
every bottle he thought would help her. Then he took it to the
pharmacy, explained what he wanted, and the pharmacist handed him
back only two bottles.
    “ This should be all she
needs, and it won’t interfere with her treatment.”
    After thanking the pharmacist, he
found a book for Madeline to read. If he remembered correctly, Nora
Roberts was her favorite, so he picked up the two books that were
on the shelf. She’d like three or four of the gossip magazines, so
he grabbed them. A Hershey’s bar, it was her favorite too. After
finding her a puzzle book and her favorite lip balm, he headed
toward the checkout.
    Eighty-seven dollars later, he was
back on the road toward her house.
    Carlos gathered the bags of items he’d
purchased and walked to the front door. He looked around the yard.
No one had cleaned up the leaves from the fall, and he wondered if
that bastard ex-husband of hers had even bothered to turn off the
sprinklers before he abandoned her. A branch was breaking on the
tree near the bedroom window. That would need to be cut down before
it broke a window. He’d make a list, and he and the boys would take
care of it.
    He rang the doorbell, stood, and
waited. There had never been a day since he’d moved out of the
house that it didn’t feel odd to stand there and wait for someone
to answer.
    She didn’t come to the
door.
    Carlos rang the bell and then pounded
on the screen door. Still there was no answer. He walked to the
garage and peered in the window. Her car was there. She must be
inside.
    He set the bags on the porch and again
rang the bell. When she didn’t come, he took out his keys. It was a
long shot, but he’d never taken the house key off his ring. Surely
Matt had changed the locks. He slid the key into the lock and
turned.
    The door opened.
    “ Maddie! Maddie! Where are
you?”
    He stood for a moment and then he
could hear her. She was in the bathroom and she was getting sick,
again.
    He dropped the bags at the door and
went to her.
    He kept calling her name so he
wouldn’t frighten her. When he found her, she was sprawled on the
floor of the bathroom in her robe. Her arms and head rested on the
side of the bathtub.
    “ Maddie.”
    “ Carlos, go home.” She
crawled toward the toilet. The movements were there, the noise was
there, but she had nothing to throw up. Carlos gathered her in his
arms and carried her to her bedroom. She was so weak she didn’t
argue with him.
    “ What are you doing here?
You should be at work.” Her voice was weak and that didn’t settle
with him.
    He needed to call work.
    “ I got you some stuff. I’ll
be right back.” He grabbed the