Forever Country by Brenda Kennedy

away and Levi hugs me next. “Bro,
you paid off the house.”
    I want to laugh, but I smile instead. “You’re
welcome, Levi.”
    “ Thanks, Bro.”
    Pops speaks up and says, “I have one more
gift. Abel, can you give me a hand?”
    “ Sure.”
    “ Stay here,” he tells Mia,
Levi, and Momma. Momma smiles — she knows what the gift
is.
    I follow him to the barn and help carry the
heavy, unwrapped, cardboard box into the house. He sets the present
in front of Mia and Levi. “Belle and I bought this a few weeks ago.
We knew we would need it one day, we just didn’t know we would need
it so soon.”
    Mia and Levi open the cardboard box and
reveals a handmade, wooden cradle with spindle sides. “Oh, my
goodness,” Mia says, holding her hand to her mouth. “This is
gorgeous.”
    I learn that Savannah Mae’s ex-husband and
father-in-law made the cradle. After checking out the cradle, I
realize it’s top quality workmanship. I gently swing it back and
forth, and I wonder if Savannah Mae had one for Sawyer Jackson.
    When Mia and Levi leave, I remember that I
didn’t ask Mia what I should do about meeting Savannah Mae. I
decide to go with my first plan.
    Savannah Mae
    “ Why you rushin’ off?” My
dad stands from the couch.
    “ I just wanna get home and
clean up. It’s still a mess from this mornin’.”
    “ You sure that’s the only
reason?”
    “ Yes, Daddy. I need to drop
Sawyer Jackson off at Ethan’s, then I’m headin’ home.”
    “ It’s not like you to be in
such a hurry on a holiday.”
    Mom is standin’ next to Daddy and my sister,
Samantha Marie, is placin’ ear buds into her ears so she can listen
to some music. “I know, I’m sorry. You didn’t see the condition I
left my house in.”
    “ Okay, I understand. Call
us if you need anything.”
    “ Thank you, Daddy, I will.
Mom, dinner was delicious. Thank you.”
    I take the containers of
leftover food, then Sawyer Jackson and I head to his daddy’s house.
When I pull up to his apartment, my stomach does a flip when I see
Heather Sue’s car parked next to Ethan’s truck. Homewrecker!
    “ Momma, that’s not Daddy’s
car.”
    I look back at Sawyer Jackson and smile. “No,
it sure isn’t.” I try to not show the hurt on my face, and I try to
not remember the night I caught my husband kissing her.
    “ Ready to see what Santa
Claus brought you?” I say too happily for his benefit and
mine.
    “ Yay, Santa,” he says,
excitedly.
    Before I have time to get
Sawyer Jackson out of his booster seat, Ethan is walkin’ out of the
house to greet us. He probably thought I
would cause a scene.
    “ Merry Christmas,
Daddy.”
    “ Merry Christmas, Buddy.
Wanna see what Santa brought you?”
    “ Yay, Santa.”
    “ I love you, Sawyer
Jackson, and I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”
    “ I love you,
too.”
    I look at Sawyer Jackson and hand him to
Ethan. “Look, Savannah Mae…”
    “ Ethan.” I raise my hand to
stop him. “I don’t want to hear it. I’ll pick Sawyer Jackson up
tomorrow around noon.”
    “ I know what you’re
thinkin’,” Ethan says.
    I give him an icy
stare. I’m pretty sure he has no idea what
I’m thinkin’. I furrow my eyebrows and
whisper, “Don’t. You have no idea what I’m thinkin’. Don’t talk to
me about her again.”
    I look up at his apartment and Heather Sue is
standin’ in the doorway.
    He backs away from me, holdin’ our son. I put
on my Mommy smile for my son. “Go see what Santa brought you, and
I’ll be back tomorrow.”
    “ Yay, Santa came,” he says,
clapping his hands. “I wanna see my presents.”
    I get into the console of the car to retrieve
the small gift Sawyer Jackson and I got his daddy. I wish it were
just from Sawyer Jackson, but stupid me, I wrote it was from the
both of us on the card.
    “ Here, we got you a little
something for Christmas.”
    He takes the small box, wrapped in Santa
paper, gives me a faint smile, and says, “Savannah Mae, I’m
sorry.”
    “ Please