What a Mother Knows by Leslie Lehr

tile, Michelle felt bereft of more than flesh and blood; she had lost her very essence. Who was she without her daughter?
    She buried her face in her arm and began to moan. After working so hard to get better, counting the weeks to come home, she felt more pain now than ever. For the slimmest of seconds, she wished she had never woken up.
    After a few minutes passed, Michelle’s moaning turned into a whimper. She felt the warmth of Drew’s arm around her shoulders and his lips pressed against her head. When she opened her eyes, he offered her the pill bottle. She held out her hand.

5
    The scream stung Michelle’s ears. She struggled to shout at someone, to make it stop, but she was unable to form the words. As the sound faded to a hum, she floated until the wave washed over her, pushing her back down into the numbing calm. But soon there was muffled noise on the surface, luring her back.
    Tyler’s voice. “Bella, no!”
    Michelle opened her eyes.
    The morning light was hazy through the bedroom curtains, but Drew’s side of the bed was already empty. She heard banging in the kitchen and remembered that he was leaving today. A pain shot like electricity through her bad arm. Wincing, she paused until it passed and she could breathe again. If Drew was cooking for Tyler, she could take her time. The boy ate a lot.
    She slipped on her hospital bathrobe without bothering to maneuver her bad arm into a sleeve, and managed to snap the front closed enough to cover her wrinkled nightgown. Then she headed down the hall. As she approached the foyer, she smelled Chanel No. 5 and stopped short.
    Michelle peeked around the corner to the front hall. Sure enough, a Louis Vuitton tote rested by the entrance table next to a matching cosmetics case engraved with the name Elyse Deveraux.
    â€œ Bonjour! ” Elyse called. Her dancer’s posture was silhouetted in the kitchen doorway where she stood, impossibly chic in a knit St. John suit despite the dawn flight from Columbus. She wrapped her arms around Michelle and hugged her close before kissing her smack on each cheek. Michelle felt the creamy lipstick prints and pulled away. Elyse wiped them off with a graceful swipe of her manicured fingers, then adjusted the silk flower pinned to her silver chignon.
    â€œHello, Mother. You look as beautiful as ever.”
    â€œAh, ma chérie. I wish I could say the same for you.” Elyse straightened Michelle’s bathrobe then tapped her chin as a reminder to stand up straight.
    Michelle couldn’t help marvel that her mother’s idea of a warm homecoming was to revert back to her habit of critiquing her only child. At least some things hadn’t changed.
    â€œHow are you feeling?” Elyse asked, as she glided back toward the sound of gurgling coffee.
    Michelle followed her mother into the kitchen where the blessed scent of coffee overpowered the perfume. The counter was covered by breakfast takeout cartons. Michelle sniffed at the bacon staining one of them. “How could you not tell me about Nikki?”
    â€œI know it’s horrible, but we couldn’t risk your recovery.”
    â€œI might have recovered faster had I known there was an emergency.”
    â€œYou were the only emergency we knew how to handle.” Elyse poured a cup of French Roast. “Our Nicole is more of a mystery. Try to understand.”
    Michelle reached for the cup.
    â€œNon, ma chérie, I made this for your husband.”
    â€œIt’s not too strong, if that’s your concern. Dr. Palmer gave it to me.”
    â€œHow kind.” She pointed to a tub of oatmeal. “But no caffeine this morning. You must eat your fiber and return to bed.”
    â€œNo, thanks. I’m going to the police department.”
    â€œAbsolutely not. You need to rest.”
    â€œI’m not a child,” Michelle said. She followed her mother’s gaze out the window to where Drew was pacing in the