When by Victoria Laurie Read Free Book Online Page B

that’s how it’ll happen. My heart will give out or it’ll be a stroke or something like that.”
    “Can’t you go to a doctor?” I asked. I wanted so badly for that date on his forehead to change.
    “I did, Maddie. My own doc ran a bunch of tests, but nothing obvious jumped off the page at him. My cholesterol is a little elevated, and my blood pressure’s not great, but
it’s not bad enough yet to go on the meds. I even got a second head-to-toe physical, and nothing shows up that could be the culprit. Whatever’s going to happen to me, I think
it’ll be a surprise, and it’ll be quick. Which, when I think about it, isn’t a bad way to go, you know?”
    I nodded, shocked by how well he seemed to be taking it. But then, I’d seen this reaction from some of my clients with terminal diseases. They simply accepted it and got busy getting their
affairs in order.
    “Anyway,” he continued, “with all the added life insurance, my family will never have to worry about money again, and both my kids are gonna get to go to college. I also make
sure to tell my sons and my wife how much I love them every day. We’ve never been closer. And I’ve been checking things off my bucket list, too. You know, the stuff you always say you
want to do but never get to because there’s always tomorrow? My whole life I put off doing what I really wanted to do because I was worried about providing for my family and keeping my job.
These days if I want to take a day off to do something fun, I do. I don’t sweat the small stuff. Not anymore. You freed me, Maddie. I feel more alive right now than I ever have. You gave me
that.”
    I was so moved that I didn’t know what to say.
    “Here we are!” I heard Mrs. Duncan call from her walkway. She and the other guy were loaded down with gauze, ointments, bandages, and medical tape. My kindly neighbor got right to
work, and in no time I was patched up and feeling a little better.
    Then Rick got me to my feet, and while his partner put my bike into the garage, he helped me up the drive. “Thanks,” I told him once we’d reached the storm door. “For
everything.”
    He offered me a big grin. “You gonna be okay?”
    I nodded. “Yeah. It just stings a little right now.”
    “Take some Advil,” he advised. “And no more speed racer on that bike of yours, you hear?” He chuckled and I smiled. Then he and the other guy got back to Mrs.
Duncan’s delivery, and I limped my way inside.
    I found Ma passed out on the couch. I checked the time. It was early for her to be so out of it. I could feel a knot beginning to form in my stomach. She was reacting to the visit from the feds.
I didn’t like it.
    I hobbled over to her and tugged the afghan off the back of the couch, spreading it out over her the best I could. I felt stiff and sore all over, and the scrapes on my leg, elbow, and palm were
starting to throb, so I limped up the stairs, and once in my room, eased out of the tight jeans and sweater I was wearing and into the lightest pair of sweats I owned. As I got redressed, I thought
again about what Rick had said—that I’d helped him. Telling him his deathdate hadn’t changed his numbers, but at least I’d helped him and his family by giving him the news.
His wife and kids were going to be sad to lose their dad—I knew that pain well—but his family would also be provided for. A bit like Ma and me had been provided for by the settlement
from the lawsuit.
    I would’ve rather had my dad, but at least most of our bills were covered for the time being. That meant a whole lot, when I thought about it.
    Moving to my desk I pulled out my deathdates notebook and began to thumb through the pages. I found Rick’s entry and the deathdate next to his name: 12-6-2014. I sighed sadly, then looked
at all the other names and dates I’d written on the many pages of the notebook.
    I always put a capitol
C
next to my clients, and as I scrolled through the names of the people I’d