“Thank you.” It was beginning to look like she’d made the right decision in her fit of anger over their behavior.

“I talked to my mother and dad today,” Mack said.

“How are they doing?” Lily carried her coffee to the table and sat down on the other side from Mack.

“Dad’s not good,” Mack replied. “He’s getting more confused about time than ever. They haven’t been here since the end of November, but he thought it was two days ago, and he told me to make Adam help me with the goats. Mama’s got her hands full with him, but she’s doing okay.”

Lily reached across the table and laid a hand on his. “I’m so sorry. That has to be the worst disease ever.”

“Thank you.” Mack patted her hand with his free one. “I asked Mama if she realized Adam had a problem, and she said yes. She thought he’d outgrow it, and then felt like it was too late to do anything about it when he broke up my engagement with Brenda.”

“Parents don’t like to admit their kids have issues,” Lily said.

“You didn’t mind admitting your kids had problems. You took steps to keep them from getting into more trouble than they were already in. Even though they whined and threw hissy fits, you were a solid, good mother and did what was best for them.”

Lily could have kissed him for that bit of encouragement, but Braden came bursting into the room at that very moment. She jerked her hand free from Mack’s and said, “I didn’t even hear you coming down the stairs. You usually make enough noise that the neighbors think it’s thundering.”

He held up a foot. “I only got on my socks. I thought I’d wear Grandpa’s boots as well as his coat.”

“You wear a size eight. Your grandfather wore an eleven,” Lily told him.

He jerked an extra pair of socks from his hip pocket. “I’ll stuff the toes.”

“We really should make time to get that kid a pair of rubber boots and a work coat,” Mack said.

“Yes!” Braden pumped his fist in the air. “Can we get them before I go visit Isaac on his ranch?”

Mack glanced over at Lily. “We could take him to the feed store tomorrow evening. They don’t close until six, and they carry coats and boots.”

“Please, Mama,” Braden begged.

“I suppose,” she agreed. “If you’re really going to be in 4-H and show goats, you should have a warm coat and boots that will keep your feet dry.”

Braden ran to her side and wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you, Mama. Can we go get them right after school, and can Mack go with us?”

“Be glad to,” Mack offered.

“Don’t see why not,” Lily said at the same time.