Page 100 of Bourbon Truths
“Went to the bathroom!” Madeline said as she skidded into the living room, stopping abruptly when she saw there was company. “I mean… used the ladies’ room,” she corrected herself, looking embarrassed.
She was wearing the same pants and slippers as her mom, but her hair was a wild mess on top of her head, and she was wearing aFrozenshirt that was entirely too large on her. In a few short days, I’d learned to absolutely adore this little girl.
“Mr. Kace, what are you doing here?” she asked, twisting her shirt.
“Madeline, is that how we greet our guests?”
Madeline straightened and said, “Can I get you something to drink, Mr. Kace?”
Chuckling, I squatted down in front of her just as I grabbed the box of beignets and opened it up in front of her. Her eyes widened from seeing the deep fried pastries. “Do you have anything that will go with these?”
“Chocolate milk!” she said with excitement. “I would have to make it though. We have powder.”
“Would you make my friend Jett and me a glass?”
“I would love to.” She took off to the kitchen and started rustling around, opening cabinets and shutting them.
Linda shook her head. “Putting your drinks in Madeline’s hands. I would watch out, boys.” Linda smiled and led us to the dining room to a small round white table and matching chairs. Linda pulled back a teal curtain so the morning light came in.
“Your house is beautiful, Linda,” Jett complimented.
“Thank you, Mr. Colby.”
“You can call me Jett.” Sincerity laced his voice.
“Thank you,” Linda said. “When Marshall passed, I decided to redo the house with some of the insurance money we got. The house was so dark and dreary before. It had his decorations, he was everywhere, and I needed to be rid of him. Madeline helped me pick the paint color, and we went to work. I couldn’t imagine this house any other way.”
“It’s so cheery and inviting,” I praised.
“Thank you. It’s what we were going for.”
Before Madeline reappeared, I pulled out the envelope Linda gave me before I left the community center the other day and handed the envelope to Linda, who refused to take it. “Linda, take this, please.”
“No.” She shook her head. “That is your money, Kace. Start over with it.”
“Linda, I gave this to you for a reason.”
“Yes, and even though your reasoning was very sweet, we don’t need it. We are doing just fine. I have a well-paying graphic design job that allows me to work from home. We are good, Kace. We are taken care of.”
“But what about Madeline’s college? Can I put it toward that?”
Linda shook her head. “She’s set. This is your rebirth. Do me a favor and use it. Start a new chapter.”
“Got the drinks,” Madeline said as she carried in a tray with four glasses of chocolate milk on them. She moved carefully to avoid spilling. Her tongue was sticking out as she concentrated on trying not to spill.
She set the tray on the table and then kneeled on a chair and started handing out the glasses.
“I put extra chocolate in yours, Mr. Kace. You look like a chocolate kind of guy.”
“Is that right?” I asked.
“Mom says milk makes you strong and you have lots of muscles, so I figured you drank a lot of chocolate milk.”
“And I don’t have muscles?” Jett asked in a teasing tone.
Madeline looked Jett up and down. “Hmm, I think Mr. Kace just wears smaller shirts.”
A snort escaped Jett, and Linda warned her daughter to be polite. I knew Jett would never let that comment drop, so I looked forward to a future teasing.
