Maddox's POV:
I sat in the ER waiting to be released when I got a phone call. It was from my mom. I was thankful I wasn't badly injured, just sore and cut up, but I knew my mom would tell me to not drive ever again. "Hey mom..." I said as I put the phone to my ear.
"Maddox, thank God you're okay! Red was driving past and saw your Jeep in the ditch and saw an ambulance pass him. He called me right away. What happened?" My mom sounded panicked.
"A buck ran out in front of me as I was turning the bend on Orchard. I slammed my breaks and spun out. And when I hit the ditch, the car flipped on it's top. Got some minor cuts and am sore, but I'm good otherwise." I explained.
I heard my mom sigh in relief, "Glad you're okay. I can come pick you up. I'll be there in ten minutes," she told me.
I really didn't want to leave yet. I wanted to see Emmi for a moment before I actually left, but I was in the ER for three hours and knew she was probably resting. I gave in to my mom, "Alright. I'll see you soon." I said. We hung up and I took a better look at my phone to see thirty messages from Emmi. A soft smile crossed my lips at how much she cared and how worried she was. As she should have been. She did witness it. I noticed she called me too and left a message.
I listened to it with my visual voice-mail and she was crying the whole time. That broke my heart. "Maddox, please call me. Please be okay. I'm so sorry. We should have just hung up. Then this wouldn't have happened. It's all my fault!" The message was finished and my eyes filled with tears. She was too sweet for her own good. None of this was her fault.
I scrolled through her texts and they were all apologies and praying I was okay. Some were saying sorry she was bombarding me and being overbearing, but I didn't mind it at all. She just cared, anyone with a brain could see that through her words and actions on a daily basis. And the last one was saying she was going to try and get some sleep, but I could text or call to let her know I was okay.
I knew she wouldn't be sleeping well until I told her I was fine, so I called her. "Hello?" She answered groggily.
"Sorry to wake you, Em. I just wanted to let you know I am okay. No major injuries, just some minor cuts and sore. Probably gonna have some bruising too. And I wanted to let you know, none of what happened was your fault. I was paying attention to the road, not you. The buck jumped out in front of me and I didn't want to hit it." I explained.
I heard quiet sobs on the other end, "I'm so glad you're okay. I don't think I'd been able to be okay if you died..."
"Hey, I'm hard to get rid of. I'm not going by a buck scaring me." I chuckled softly.
"That's not funny, Maddox." Emmi sniffled.
"I'm sorry. I won't joke about that." I felt bad. From what I got from the bits and pieces I heard her and her parents talking about this morning, there must have been a death in the family that they were really close to. "My mom's picking me up in five minutes, but I just wanted to call so you wouldn't worry about me anymore than you already have been."
"Thank you. Please text me when you get home."
"I will, don't worry. Oh, and I'm not sure when I'll be getting a new car...so we may have to meet at school, when you return back."
"Okay. Thanks for letting me know. And of course it's so close to winter...what luck." I heard a soft chuckle from her. "I hate walking when it's super cold."
"Can't your parent's drive you? Or Gigi?" I asked.
"Gigi actually doesn't have her license. Her parents drop her off and pick her up. I couldn't ask them to do the same for Brooks and I. And my mom leave super early for work. Dad does too. So that's why Brooks and I always walk." She explained.
My face twisted in thought, "I can see if I can borrow my brother's car, until I can find a new one. It just sits in our driveway right now, since he's off studying abroad for the year in Germany." I was sure my mom was fine with it, but I was also worried she wouldn't let me drive ever again. It was always a toss up with her.
"Well, let me know. I wouldn't mind going car shopping with you. That actually sounds fun. Though, I'm gonna get some rest. Text me when you get home." I heard a soft kiss sound from her and I smiled.
"I will. Get some rest, love." I made a kiss sound back and we hung up.
The doctor came in and released me, mentioning how to keep my cuts clean and gave me a script for pain meds. I wasn't gonna take them, but I'd get them just in case. My usual med for pain was Tylenol. "You can be on your way now, Mr. Evans. If you have questions or get worse, just give us a call."
I nodded, "Thanks, doc." I hopped off the bed and headed to the emergency room lobby. I got a text from my mom saying she was in front of the doors. I left and got into the car. "Thanks for picking me up, mom." I yawned.
"You're welcome, sweetie. I'm just glad you're okay. Orchad Road can be dangerous at night. Wildlife is always poking around that bend." She told me. "Oh, and since you don't have a car, you can use your brothers. He won't mind and I know you need to take Emmi and her brother to school."
I gave her a questionable look, "How did you know I did that?"
"Maddox, I'm your mother. I notice more than you think. You've been leaving the house at six instead of seven-fifteen for almost a month and a half now. I figured you were picking someone up. And I figured it was Emmi and her brother, because you've mentioned Emmi a few times. And you read to Brooks on Wednesdays."
"When did I mention Emmi to you?" I raised my brows.
"The last time you mentioned her was when she wasn't herself. You actually noticed something was off, which you don't do often unless you care about them. You've never been so captivated by someone since you were twelve and even then it was never like this." She explained.
I went silent. She was right. Back when I was twelve, I had no idea what love was. I thought love was Penelope, but I was so wrong. I don't know what it was, but it sure as hell wasn't love back then. The feelings I have now, towards Emmi, are strong and definitely something I had never felt with Penelope. I didn't want to jump at saying it was love, but maybe it was.
The rest of the car ride was quiet, besides the radio my mom had turned on to an hard rock station. I always found her taste in music interesting. She was a sweet nurse that worked with cancer kids, so her listening to hard rock was scary sometimes. Though, whenever she did listen to it, it meant she had a rough day at work and then she'd cry it out in her bedroom or in the shower. "You okay, mom?" I asked.
She stopped at a stop light and turned to me, tears in her brown eyes, "I got a call on the way to pick you up about a kid at work. I'll be okay." She gave a half smile.
"Was it little Elaina?" Knowing a few of her patients, I knew some weren't doing great. Little Elaina was one of them.
She didn't say anything, which indicated it was. I had met Elaina a few times when visiting my mom. She was my little sisters age, so seven, and had some type of brain cancer. It was stage four and her parents were told she had several months to live. They were told that when she was five, and from my mom's expressions and actions, I assumed she had passed today at some point. Elaina was such a sweet girl, very optimistic even if she knew she didn't have much time left. My stomach tied itself into knots and I felt my throat get sore.
I hated seeing my mom like this. Yeah, it was part of her job that she loved, but it hurt me seeing her grieve so much over her kids. "I'm sorry, mom." I told her softly as the car started moving again.
"Thank you, honey. I'll be okay in a day or two. Always am. I have to be." She grabbed my hand gently squeezing it.
I squeezed it back, "I know, but sometimes it's okay not to be."
"I know, kiddo. That's why I have therapy once a month. It lets me not be okay. I love my job, but it does take a toll on me emotionally sometimes. And that's okay."
I nodded and stayed quiet the rest of the way home, which wasn't long. My mom parked the car in the garage and I got out but she didn't. "Do you want me to stay with you?" I asked, before heading inside.
"No. I'll be in in a few minutes." She told me. I watched her turn the car off, take the keys out of the ignition and turn her music up loud, so my sister nor I could hear her cries of sadness and anger.
I closed the garage door that lead into the house and went to my room slowly. My adrenaline high was gone so I was feeling more sore than before. I texted Emmi, letting her know I made it home and said good night with a kissing emoji. I set my phone down on my chest and fell asleep on top of my covers still in my day clothes.