Forever and Always, Olive

Chapter 11: Is That Some Sort of Code?

Chapter 11

Maddox tells me that I'd have to walk to his house at around 4:30 so we can drive to Cassidy's. He seems nervous about this arrangement but it's apparently the only way we can make things work. So at 4:10, I start walking to his familiar house. When I arrive, I notice something odd. A shiny, silver car is parked in the driveway, beside Abel's familiar jeep and Maddox's black car.

I walk up the steps and before I can even knock, the door is swung open. I come face to face with a woman who's around my height, maybe a little taller. Her dark brown hair is tied up into a pony tail and her large green eyes watch me closely. Her features remind me strongly of Maddox and Abel. She's dressed in business attire and I immediately realize why Maddox was nervous about the arrangements. This is his mother.

"You must be Olivia," the woman greets me, successfully yanking me from my stupor. I nod my head quickly.

"You must be Mrs. Finnegan," I smile at her. I pat my jeans awkwardly, trying to indiscreetly wipe the sweat from my palms in case she tries for a handshake. She offers me a nod and flashes me a smile that I recognized too well, mostly from Abel.

"That's me," she grins as she opens the door wider for me. "You're here for Maddox?"

"Yeah," I assure her as I take a slow step inside.

She shuts the door behind me and motions to the steps. I hear a faint vacuum as I peer up the wooden steps. "He's upstairs finishing up his chores. He's been slacking lately. Abel's in the living room, though," she comments and I feel a bit odd. Apparently, she knows I'm friends with both of her sons. I've heard little to nothing about her, though.

"Okay, I'll just wait with him," I confirm quietly. Maddox couldn't pick me up because he's too busy doing his chores. Hilarious. If it weren't for the fact that I'm standing in front of his mother, I'd probably laugh at the image popping into my head: a little boy dusting shelves or cleaning a bathroom.

"Well, I've got to get going. It was very nice meeting you. I hope to talk to you again; you seem like a very nice girl," she insists with that killer smile. I grin back as she exits the house, leaving me to stand in the hallway. I trail into the living room, where Abel is sitting on the recliner with a handful of grapes. Again, he's shirtless and only wearing pajama pants; this time, however, they're purple. He tilts his head back and throws the small fruits into the air. Whenever he catches one in his mouth, he cheers quietly like a hushed crowd at a game. 

I slowly and quietly approach him. I watch as a grape falls into his mouth but I guess he positioned himself wrong while trying to catch it. His back immediately straightens and choking noises emerge from the back of his throat. He turns in the recliner and I notice how his face is turning red. He spots me and begins motioning to his neck as if asking me for help. If it was Maddox, I'd turn a blind eye but this is Abel we're talking about; I have to do something.

I heave him up and begin doing the Heimlich maneuver, which I learned one year at a camp. I hear a loud gasp and when I pull away, I notice a mushy grape rolling around on the floor beside us. Abel leans over with his hands on his knees as he takes long, deep breaths. I'm breathing heavily from the stress of holding his life in my hands. His face slowly returns to its normal tan.

I immediately retract my hand when I noticed that it's resting on his warm, bare shoulder. My face turns red but I blame it on embarrassment. "Are you okay?" I ask as I stretch my arms out a little.

I'm a little startled when he hugs me. I mean, Abel is an affectionate person (I would know) but he surprised me because just a second ago, he was brushing arms with death. "I almost died!" he announces shakily.