The kitchen light was on, and Madeline got out of the car and watched as they walked inside. She saw Kathy in the window and she waved. She was glad the kids had stayed with her for the night.

“Today’s the day.” Carlos stepped out of the house and stood on the step with a cup of coffee in his hand.

He was shaven and dressed for the day. She smiled up at him. It had been so long since she’d seen or talked to him. All of his hair had grown back in, and he was as handsome as ever.

She suppressed the stirring in her stomach. “Yeah. In a couple of days I’ll look normal again.”

“Couple of days?”

“My doctor says I can probably go home in two days.”

His lips tightened, and she noticed his eyes shift to her body. “Good.” He disappeared back into the house.

Madeline shook her head. That had been more awkward than she’d expected. He’d stopped talking to her and coming by almost four weeks ago; why she thought he’d have a full conversation with her was beyond her. She opened her car door and caught sight of him though the kitchen window kissing his fiancée. Kathy smiled up at him, and Madeline watched him pull his coat from the hook and open the back door. She climbed into her car, not wanting to draw out a moment that had obviously made him uncomfortable, but he ran around the side and knocked on her window.

Madeline let out a breath. She didn’t want to talk to him, she wanted to drive away, quickly. Instead, she rolled down the window.

Carlos zipped up his coat. “Park it over there.” He pointed to the side of the driveway. “We’ll take my car.”

“What?” Her attitude had taken a nosedive after watching him kiss Kathy as though he knew he was on display.

“I’m taking you to the hospital and staying with you.”

“Carlos, don’t be…”

“Park it, Maddie!” He smiled with a wink of his eye, and she sat staring at him. What was she supposed to do? First he’s in her face wanting to help her, then he just disappears. Now there he’s standing here grinning at her telling her he’s taking her to the hospital? Once she was done with the surgery on her breasts, maybe she could get a lobotomy so she could forget how much the man could twist her insides up.

She reluctantly moved her car to the area where he’d pointed, turned it off, and climbed out. By the time her feet hit the ground, he had her bag out of the backseat and the garage door open. She looked up at the window where Kathy still stood looking out at them. She waved, but the smile on her lips was forced. Madeline knew she might be supportive, but it didn’t mean she was comfortable with Carlos’s decision to take care of her.

Madeline followed him toward the garage. “What’s going on?”

“I already told you,” he said as he walked toward his car.

“No.” She grabbed his arm, stopping him from putting the bag in the backseat. “You were in my face from the minute Curtis called you and told you I was at the hospital, and then one day you stopped calling. I haven’t seen you in four weeks. Now here you are telling me what to do. Telling me that you’re going to take care of me again? I don’t need your charity, Carlos Keller.”

The dimple in his cheek deepened. “Then think of it as Kathy’s charity, because she’s the one who told me I had to take care of you again. Now get in the damn car or you’re going to be late.”

Madeline huffed out a breath and trudged around the other side of the car. She climbed in and fastened her seat belt. As Carlos backed out of the garage, she looked up at the back porch. Her children stood there in the pajamas. Kathy stood in a robe with a cup of coffee. They all smiled and waved, and the kids blew kisses. Tears fell from her eyes as Carlos turned the car out of the drive and proceeded to the hospital.

“Thank you,” she finally said as they turned onto the highway.

“For what?”

She let her shoulders drop. There was no need for tension when she was with Carlos. “For caring.”

“Well, I’m going to say this, and then I’m going to hate myself for it, but I would have been there for the past four weeks had it been up to me.”

“Kathy?” She should have known. Carlos never would have just drifted away from her.

“Yeah, Kathy.” He signaled to change lanes, checked the mirrors, and then glided into the center lane and picked up speed. “She found she had a new emotion. Jealousy. She hates herself for it, but it’s understandable.”

“I’ve kinda put a damper on her perfect wedding.”

He shook his head. “No, she’s still having the time of her life putting it together.”

Madeline twisted her fingers together. Carlos’s eyes shifted to her and she set her hands flat on her lap. She knew he was waiting for her to process her thoughts. There was a time they could have a conversation without words. Though she didn’t think they’d strayed too far from that. Madeline turned to watch him. “She came by the other day and saw me.”

He made another lane change. “She told me.”

“Did you know she was going to do that?” she asked, straightening her fingers and trying to relax.

“No. She told me she had a meeting. I had no idea.”

Madeline nodded. She wanted to hate the woman, but it was just impossible to do.

Carlos shifted a quick glance her way. “You are going to come to the wedding, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t think it would be right.”

He shook his head. “I’d like you to be there.” He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.

How could she tell him she wasn’t sure if she could do it? She couldn’t stand the thought of him marrying someone else. Watching him say I do to someone else just might literally break her heart. But then again she deserved it. Karma was a bitch.

Madeline checked into the hospital. She was in a room having her vitals taken by six o’clock.

The sun was rising outside her window. She’d never paid much attention to little details like sunrises or sunsets until she got sick. Now it was a habit to watch the sun come up just to make sure it did.

Carlos walked back into her room. “Okay, they say you’ll be going in about eight o’clock.” He packed up the few items she’d taken out of her small suitcase and zipped it up.

“Okay.”