Chapter 21
I’m exhausted when I reach my bedroom but can’t fall asleep. All I can think of is Barrick and how he always makes things better. What am I going to do if I go to Boston and how am I going to tell him? I don’t want to say anything to him until I know what I’m going to do, and I know I have to figure it out soon. I don’t want to think about all that tonight, so I grab my Kindle to read a bit before bed. Just as I pick it up, I notice the gift from Dad that Mom left on my dresser. I guess I better open it and see what he sent me.
My hands start to tremble as I work to open it. When I can’t get it, I walk to the kitchen for a pair of scissors. I’m shocked to find Gran at the table with a cup of coffee.
“Gran, kinda late,” I say.
“Couldn’t sleep. I went to check on Daisy. I swear I don’t think she’s ever going to deliver. Take a seat,” she says and I do once I cut through the packaging tape.
She watches me to see if I’m going to open it. I shrug, take a deep breath, and open the box. Gran gasps and covers her mouth as I sit there speechless. It’s a wooden box filled with memories of Dad and me. I look up at Gran and she takes her cup to fill it up, but I can see her eyes are glassy. I don’t speak; I just take in all the memories.
The first is a photo of me after my first solo squealing, “Daddy!” as he stood waiting for me with my favorite croissant and a small bouquet of daisies. There is a dried daisy next to the picture. Next, I see a program for every performance I was in, whether it was on a team or the fourth grade talent show. The picture that hits me the most is the one from our Daddy-Daughter Dance where we are wearing matching MC Hammer pants. I remember him doing his best to hang in there with me. That’s all I ever wanted— to spend time with him. This box brings back all the good memories and I can’t hold in the tears. Gran wraps me in a hug until I calm down. When I take one last look, I see a note at the bottom.
Dear Cade,
The moment you were born was the moment I knew I’d never be the same. You are by far my biggest accomplishment in life. You have always inspired, and I want your eighteenth birthday to be filled with fond memories of the two of us. I hope they make you laugh, smile, and even cry because these are the moments I cherish.
When I think about the past eight months, I know I’ve let you down, but I won’t anymore. As The Eagles once said, “Some dance to remember, some dance to forget.” Don’t forget me, Cadence. I love you and will always be behind you.
Love, Dad
PS- I’ve got two tickets to Sweden when you’re ready.
Placing the box back on the table, I start crying all over again. Gran holds me until I can’t cry anymore. Then she pulls my chin up to look at her.
“Cade, he’s always been an SOB, but he’s your dad. At some point, you have to move forward. It looks like he’s trying.”
“Gran, I want to, but then again I want to hate him. I want him to hurt as much as he has hurt Mom and me.”
“Choose joy, Cade. First Corinthians sixteen-fourteen says, ‘Let all that you do be done in love.’ Let love in. It will heal all wounds.”
My gran is a strong one. She’s wise and has taken the lessons God has given her and has shown me that it’s okay to move on. It doesn’t hurt anyone but me to hold on to the hate.
“I love you, Gran,” I whisper.
“I love you too, Cade. So, so much,” she says as she runs her hands over my hair.
Once she knows I’m okay, we go back to bed. As I take the box back to my room, my heart feels a little lighter. I place it on my dresser so I can see it each morning when I get ready. Once I’m in bed, I take my phone and text Dad.
Me: Thank you Dad.
I get a quick reply. I forgot about the time difference.
Dad: I’m so glad, Cadence. I want you to know I love you, and pray that we can work through this. I love you. Happy Birthday.
Me: Me too
I don’t reply with an I love you too because I’m not at that point yet. I will always love him because he’s my dad and I appreciate him trying to make amends, but I still need time to process it all before I can say that again.
I quickly drift off to sleep, but it’s not long before the sound of Gran’s voice awakens me. She seems to be flustered about something. In my mind, I tell her it will be okay, roll over, and cover my head with my pillow, but then I’m shaken awake.
“Cade! Get up, Cade!” Mom keeps repeating. I mumble to leave me alone. I know it’s not time for the sun to be up. Hell, I just went to bed. Holy shit! It’s cold! I suddenly realize that Mom has pulled the warm comforter from my body. I sit up to grab it, but I catch the look on Mom’s face.
“What’s wrong?” I grumble.
“Cade, Gran needs our help. Put on the most worn out clothes you have and come on,” she says, walking toward the door in a hurry.
“Is she okay?” I question.
She turns to face me. “Yes, she’s fine. It’s Daisy. She’s in labor.”
It takes a second to seep in. Daisy is in labor. Daisy is in labor. My Daisy is in labor! We’re having a baby! Then it hits me. Oh no! I’m not birthing a cow. “Please tell me I don’t have to put my hands up there?” I say, shaking my head and praying that I don’t. I’ve grown close to that cow, but not that close.
“Gran just said she needs us. She’s already been out there a while. Just come on and do what she says please.” How long have I been asleep? I grab my phone and see that it’s four in the morning. I guess I was sleeping well.
I nod to Mom, place my warm feet on the cool wooden floor, and try to find something old to wear. The only old things I own are dance clothes so that’s what I grab. I quickly text Barrick to get over here, toss my phone on my bed, and grab my paisley galoshes before I hurry toward the barn. Thankfully the weather turns warmer earlier in the South so it’s not as cold in the barn.
Gran is sitting with Daisy and looks up when she hears us come in. “Girls, I need you to get things ready in the next stall. Put out some fresh straw and fresh water. Daisy and her calf will need to move in there once she delivers.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Mom says as she begins to walk this way. I stand in shock at the image in front of me. Daisy is standing there and there is discomfort laced in her moos. It’s not that I don’t know what to do because putting hay on the ground isn’t hard; it’s the fact that my mom has gone into straight country girl mode. “Cadence, bring the water hose in here please,” she says, snapping me out of my trance. I look for it and quickly jump into action. I grab the hose and then start breaking up the straw.
As I go to turn the water off, I’m caught off guard when the barn door opens. “Oh shit! You scared me,” I say as Barrick walks in. “I guess I’m a little on edge.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Where’s Ms. Mae?” he says as he takes in the situation.
I point to Daisy’s stall, and he makes his way over there. I turn the water off and help Mom finish getting the stall ready. I hear the loudest moo I’ve ever heard and Gran tells Barrick to get ready. I look at Mom and we both hurry to see what’s going on.
When we look over the stall, I’m grossed out yet in awe of the sight before me. Gran is covered in some nasty film and Barrick has the calf in his arms. He takes a piece of straw and puts it up its nose, and before I know it the calf is breathing on its own. I take a step forward and just look as Daisy is led into the new stall and the calf is placed near her to nurse. That was the grossest, most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.
I stand outside the stall as Daisy looks at me. “Good job, girl!” I say as Mom comes to stand beside me. Looking at her, I can’t hide my joy for both of them. “Mom, isn’t she the cutest thing ever?”
“She’s adorable,” she says as she places her arm on my shoulder, pulling me in for a motherly hug. “You did good, too, lovey girl!”
Barrick
After placing the calf in the stall, I wash up at the sink. Cadence amazed me with the way she handled all the responsibilities given to her. She is really embracing the farm life and I hope I don’t lose her to Boston.
“Barrick, I’m going to make a pot of coffee, if you’d like some,” Ms. Mae says, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Sure. I’ll be right in.” I check on Daisy and tag the calf before going toward the house.
I give a slight knock before entering and find all three women at the table with a warm cup of coffee in their hands. Ms. Mae stands to get my coffee, and I tell her to stay seated. I pour my coffee in the mug they left out for me, and take the only seat open beside Ms. Mae.
“Ms. Mae, she’s been tagged,” I state as I take a seat.
“Doesn’t that hurt?” Cadence questions.
I look at her and try to relate it to something she’d get. “Did piercing your ears hurt?”
“Uh, not really.”
“Well, I’m not a cow, but I figure it’s about the same thing.”
She takes another sip of coffee, and I look at Ms. Mae. “Ms. Mae, do you have any Hank?” I ask and Cadence gives me a look.
“Honey, you know it!” she says as she walks to the living room and comes back with a record. “I remember when this came out! I saved up my money for a month to buy it! Come on in the living room. I’ll put it on,” she states and we take our coffee and follow her into the room. She takes the top off the record player and within seconds the opening notes to “Family Tradition” fills the living room. Ms. Mae turns and starts to move to the classic country song. Cadence looks as if she’s just heard a foreign language as Ms. Mae moves toward her. She takes Cadence by the hand and begins to two-step. I start to sing the extra words all the teenagers have added over the years.
“Get laid? Barrick Carpenter! Y’all kids sure know how to ruin a great song!” Ms. Mae hollers over the music but never misses a beat. Within a few moments, I watch as Ms. Mae swirls Cadence away from her and grabs Regina. I take Cadence’s hand and we all two-step around the room.
“Told ya, I’d teach you about Hank. One down, two to go,” I whisper in her ear.
“What was that? I thought Gran was going to have a cow,” she says and continues to giggle uncontrollably. We both start to laugh because Daisy just literally had a cow.
“Just wait for a good party and you’ll understand,” I say as I continue to spin her around the room. “So do you like it?”
“What? The music? Nuh, uh, but I do like dancing with you,” she admits. As the next song ends, I realize Ms. Mae and Regina are gone.
“Cadence, remember I always want to make you happy and that you can talk to me about anything,” I say as I hold her in my arms.
“I love you, Barrick. I really do,” she says and leans in for a kiss.
“I love you too,” I say, hoping her love for dance won’t break us apart.
Cadence
When Barrick says I can talk to him about anything, my heart breaks a little. I haven’t told him about Boston and I need to before he finds out. It’s not right for me to make Jade keep my secret and I need to be honest with him.
“Barrick—”
“Cadence… I’m sorry. What were you going to say?”
“No, you go first,” I say.
“I was proud of you out there. Pitching in and helping out when we needed you. We might be making a country girl out of you yet.”
“I didn’t do anything. I don’t think I could have done what you and Gran did. That was totally disgusting.”
“Yeah, it kinda is. But bringing a new life into the world is pretty amazing. Speaking of new life, I better go check on Daisy and the calf. Wanna come?”
“Of course.”
“Oh, what were you going to say?”
“Oh, nothing, we can talk about it later. Let’s go check on our girls,” I say, chickening out.
I let Mom and Gran know we’re going to check on the cows before we go down to the barn. As soon as we walk in, Barrick pulls me into the storage closet and attacks my lips. I let out a soft moan. When he trails kisses down my neck, I pull back slightly. “Damn, Mr. Carpenter. What brought that on?”
“You. Helping with Daisy. Dancing with me. Wearing that skimpy dance outfit. It’s taken everything in me not to kiss you in front of your mom and Ms. Mae.”
“Well, you seem to have the same effect on me,” I say before I attack his lips and let my hands roam his body. When we both are out of breath and my hands have crossed lines they haven’t before, we slow things down.
“Cadence you have no idea how sexy you are right now in that outfit and those galoshes with your hair a mess. It’s freakin’ hot.”
I giggle and Barrick gives me a warning look. “I’m sorry. I just can’t help it. How can this be hot?” I ask as I cover my mouth to keep from laughing. He takes a step toward me, grabs my arms and tosses me over his shoulder.
“Bare! Put me down!” I scream while playfully beating his back. He carries me over to the hay pile and tosses me into it. Then he lies next to me and kisses me like I’ve never been kissed before. This boy has stolen my heart and there is no way I can leave it here and go to Boston.
As the barn door squeaks open, we jump from the hay and quickly pull ourselves together. When Gran lays eyes on us, it’s obvious she knows exactly what we were doing.
“How’s Daisy and the calf doing? It’s funny that I don’t see any other cows in here ready to be milked,” she says with a look, and then we all bust out laughing and get to work.