Goodbye Earl(98)

“What…what do you mean it’s not going away?” The fogginess was almost unbearable. Nothing was making sense and her head was hurting again. Her shoulder was hurting. Her entire body. The air was painful. Everything.

Someone outside was setting off fireworks a day late; a loud boom spilled across the sky followed by a shimmery hiss.

“It’s metastatic. Spreading all over her body now. There are some treatments that can help, but—” Kasey said.

“But what? What? She’ll die anyway?” Caro asked, trying to make sense out of something that would never make sense. Imagining a world without Rosemarie was impossible, so Caroline shut the door on it immediately and stared straight ahead.

“She’s in the hospital right now for exhaustion and dehydration, basically. No one knew about it besides Leo and Esme and Esme’s brother, but only because he’s her doctor. I’d have to assume that her mom must’ve known something was up, but…I don’t know. She looked a little skinny to me, but she’s always been a little skinny and she didn’t seem sick. Did she seem sick to you?” Kasey asked, shaking her head to answer her own question.

Caro shook her head too and asked if she could go to the hospital and see her.

“Of course. We can go right now. Everyone’s up there,” Kasey said.

“How did you get here?”

“Silas dropped me off.”

“I thought you were here to tell me the cops know about Trey,” Caro said.

“It’s actually a murder investigation now.”

“What?” Caro’s blood went thick and cold. “What? Why?”

“The Foxberrys were able to get an independent autopsy. I don’t know how they did it so fast, but…that person said Trey’s skull was cracked by something deliberately.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know…we’ll figure it out. Beau’s aunt is doing an autopsy too. She’s on our side. Try not to worry. Okay? Try.”



“On the way to the hospital, tell me exactly what y’all did to him. Promise?” Caro said, standing next to Kasey outside of Grandma Mimi’s car. Shaking, she handed Kasey the keys to it.

“Okay. Promise.”





2016


46





Beau had shown up back in Goldie. A sweet surprise. He’d come to visit his family after his divorce and stopped in the bakery to say hey, then hung around until they closed. Afterward, he and Caro ended up at Duke’s. Half of the night was a blur, but Caro remembered dancing to the Spice Girls and Beau had his arms around her, and she was scared she’d melt right through the floor. She wanted him to kiss her so bad, so she told him she needed to get some air.

They stepped outside and she told Beau that Samuel was her boyfriend, but he was out of town and she wished she could kiss him. She wished she could be with Beau, but he ran off and got married and now he was back and the timing was wrong. Again. The timing was always wrong for them.

“Yeah, but maybe it won’t always be,” Beau said, after listening to her holler at him for a while. She was drunk and he told her that, which made her laugh.

“I loved you so much when we worked at the diner together,” she said to him.

“I loved you too, Muffin Mix,” he said.

They went back inside Duke’s and danced together some more even though Caro thought she’d burst into flames. Like she’d split in two for wanting him so much and for loving Samuel, even when he wasn’t there. Beau had taken her to Samuel’s house and gotten her inside. He put her to bed and left a glass of water on the nightstand.

“Maybe it won’t always be,” he said softly when he thought she was sleeping.



Oh Plum wasn’t happening, Beau wasn’t happening, but the bakery was “basically” hers, and Samuel was great.

Every time Caroline thought about how boring and bad things were, she found herself thinking, Yeah, but maybe it won’t always be.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Friends



Beau, I forgot to say something when you were in town so I want to say it now. No matter what…I want us to be friends. I love being your friend. You’re one of my favorite people in the world. So there…I told you. Next time you’re in town, I promise not to drink so much and by “so much” I mean not at all because I’m well on my way to realizing that I can’t hold my alcohol. Such a lightweight! You told me that when I was in high school and okay whatever, you’re right! :P

I hope Nevada is good to you.

Everybody/everything should be good to you. Always.

Love,

Muffin Mix



To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Re: Friends



Muffin Mix,

Anytime, anywhere you are, no matter what, you just say the word and I’m there. I mean it.

If that ol’ boy Samuel (or any boy) don’t treat you right even for one second, you’ll let me know? Promise?

Damn straight we’ll be friends. Forever.

Love,

BB



To: [email protected]