Animal Heart(44)

She moved on and rang her friend Jade. She was cool about it, but obviously a little curious. She was telling her friends and parents the same story for now. She needed a change. Just for a month. There was the possibility of working there permanently, and she wanted to see how it went, on a trial basis first.

She finally tapped out her mom's mobile phone number nervously. She had left this phone call for last because she knew her parents would ask probing questions. They were intuitive, clever people, and she knew they wouldn't be fobbed off with a vague answer. She knew her dad would be disappointed about her decision to give up her career. They'd put a lot of effort and money into her education. Her parents were professors, at Mount Royal University in Calgary. They were proud of her success and her independence. After her older sister had become pregnant at sixteen, and was now on her third child, by two different fathers, there had always been more pressure on her to achieve. Her phone went to unavailable mode, which was odd. Her mom always answered her phone and kept it at her side constantly. It was Saturday and she should either be at home or out shopping. She tried the home phone instead.

Someone female answered quickly.

“Hello…”

She didn't immediately recognise the voice, although it had a ring of familiarity to it.

“Oh hello, it's Maddy here. Is my mom there?”

“Oh Maddy, thank God it's you.” She suddenly realised who this was. It was her aunt Jackie, her mom's sister. She was about to have a conversation with her, but her aunt seemed overly tense. “I've been fretting like hell because I didn't know where you were, your phone was unreachable... Maddy, listen... I'm so sorry, there's no easy way to tell you this, but your parents had a car accident last night. Your dad suffered a severe head trauma. He's in a coma and hanging on, just barely. Carly's at the hospital now and I've got her kids with me while Lew's at work. But your mom, I'm so sorry love. Celine's... well... she's gone…” Her aunt's voice cracked with emotion and she broke down on the phone.

“No... no. Not them... It can't be true? Not my mom and dad...” Her heart felt like someone had stabbed it, the pain was so fierce. Tears filled her eyes in a second. She let out a high pitched wail of distress as she dropped the phone on the floor. Sammy appeared immediately from the kitchen and picked up the phone, holding Maddy's heaving, and tearful body against her own.

“Hello... I'm Samantha, Maddy's friend at Heart Mountain Ranch, what's happened?” She proceeded to have a conversation with Jackie. Maddy clung to her in a state of shocked and sobbing disbelief as she rocked her from side to side. Some time went by and she was passed over to him. His clean scent engulfed her, and his strong arms surrounded her, as he picked her up and carried her off. Her body was wracked with heaving sobs as he held her tight, lying next to her on his bed. He smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead. He murmured soft words of comfort, shushing her gently, and quieting her down.

“I'm so sorry Maddy,” he finally said, when her sobs had subsided enough for her to take it in.

“My mom, my dad, oh no... Aden, no....” she wailed in horror.

“I know. I'll take you back, you need to be there.”

“You can't. It's the full moon in less than two days.”

“I know, and we'll think of something. But you need to be there. Your dad and sister need you.”

“Oh God, this can't be happening...”

“Look, I'll bring you back as soon as you can leave. Don't fret about it. I'll always be here for you, I promise. Get yourself packed, we're going right now.” Aden took charge of her, taking her back to her room and collecting her things. Before they left her room, he took her into his arms and gave her a long, wonderful kiss. “Remember that. Won't you? When things are bad.” He gave a tiny smile and tipped her head up with his fingers. “Now call your aunt and tell her you're on the way. Let's go.”



Her body felt weak with a flood of emotion and a massive dose of nervous tension, as Aden drove up to her parents' house in Calgary. It was a beautiful home, where she had grown up happily, and set on the outer limits of town, in a semi-rural spot. They had a sizeable plot of land, which they hadn't needed for years since they'd sold her pony. The horse box still stood at the end of the paddock, next to Pip's small stable. She gazed at it all blindly and miserably, as they made their way up the long dirt driveway to the house. Aunt Jackie came out to greet them, waiting on the porch. Her eyes were filled with tears.

Carly appeared from behind her with her three children, baby Charlie, toddler Danny, and eleven year old Courtney. Carly's boyfriend Lewis appeared at her side.