out.
“I usually do, Mother. But I’m too tired right now to go food shopping, and they’re too hungry to wait.”
Emily nodded and touched her arm. “You get going. I’ll just stay a minute and finish my tea.”
Lillian pursed her lips and stared hard at her older daughter. “You’d better be moving along, too, Emily. I’m going out.”
Emily was instantly suspicious that this was just a trick to get rid of her. Lillian, feeling cornered, was trying to cleverly wriggle out of her grasp and escape a discussion of the unthinkable—hiring help to come into this house.
“Where are you going, Mother? You never leave the house on Saturdays.” Unless one of us takes you out on errands, she added silently.
“Not that you would know it, but perhaps I have a social life beyond the rounds of doctor visits and supermarkets, where you and sister escort me.”
Not much beyond that, Emily wanted to correct her. The tactic was clear. Her mother was suddenly trying to portray the image of an active, independent person. Which they all knew was not the reality.
Lillian rose and carried her teacup to the sink, which wasn’t easy, walking with a cane. “Ezra’s bridge club is short a hand, and he invited me to join them. They meet in a very nice club room at some senior living community . . . Happy Valley or some such? All those senior villages sound the same to me.”
Happy Valley? Emily nearly laughed out loud. That said it all, though she doubted it was really the name of the place. “Sounds very nice,” Jessica said, helping Tyler with the zipper on his jacket.
“They serve a decent buffet,” Lillian noted. “I’m just going as a favor to Ezra. There are some wretched card players in that bunch. I hope we don’t get a bad table.”
Well, at least she would be with Ezra today. That was a comfort.
“I’m sure Ezra appreciates your help,” Emily said. She picked up her purse and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Call me when you get back, okay?”
“Do I have a curfew? Have I suddenly regressed to my teenage years?”
“Mother, we just want to know that you got in okay,” Jessica explained. “Humor us, please?”
“Yes, humor us,” Emily echoed, but in a much firmer tone.
Lillian sighed. “I will call. And I’ll speak to a machine, I expect, since neither of you ever deigns to pick up the phone.”
“Good-bye, Mother,” Emily said, heading for the door. “I’ll pick you up for church tomorrow at the usual time.”
“Of course. Whenever that turns out to be,” Lillian grumbled.
“Yes, see you tomorrow, Mother.” Jessica kissed her mother and gave her boys a look. Getting the hint, they politely said good-bye to Lillian. They were more than a little afraid of their grandmother. Lillian liked it that way, considering their apprehension a form of respect.
Once they were outside, Emily stood at Jessica’s car for a few private words. “Well, what do you think? We didn’t get very far.”
Jessica leaned into the backseat to make sure Tyler’s seat belt was secure. “I didn’t think we would, not on the first try.”
“I know, but now that they’re really gone, it’s suddenly hitting me. She’s all alone in there. It’s just not safe, Jess. How can she argue with us about it?”
“I’m worried, too. We definitely have to do something. But it will be easier for us, and for her, if we can get her to agree to some plan. Otherwise—”
“Yes, I know. No point without her signing on.”
Emily looked up to see her mother watching from the front parlor window. She waved, and the curtain quickly snapped back. Emily laughed. “We’re being spied on.”
“She’s suiting up for a royal battle, that’s for sure.” Jessica slipped into the driver’s seat and shut the door. “You’ve had a hard day, Em. Don’t worry about any of this right now. We can’t solve it in one conversation with her. It will all work out—one way or the other. Let me know when Mother calls you later,
“I usually do, Mother. But I’m too tired right now to go food shopping, and they’re too hungry to wait.”
Emily nodded and touched her arm. “You get going. I’ll just stay a minute and finish my tea.”
Lillian pursed her lips and stared hard at her older daughter. “You’d better be moving along, too, Emily. I’m going out.”
Emily was instantly suspicious that this was just a trick to get rid of her. Lillian, feeling cornered, was trying to cleverly wriggle out of her grasp and escape a discussion of the unthinkable—hiring help to come into this house.
“Where are you going, Mother? You never leave the house on Saturdays.” Unless one of us takes you out on errands, she added silently.
“Not that you would know it, but perhaps I have a social life beyond the rounds of doctor visits and supermarkets, where you and sister escort me.”
Not much beyond that, Emily wanted to correct her. The tactic was clear. Her mother was suddenly trying to portray the image of an active, independent person. Which they all knew was not the reality.
Lillian rose and carried her teacup to the sink, which wasn’t easy, walking with a cane. “Ezra’s bridge club is short a hand, and he invited me to join them. They meet in a very nice club room at some senior living community . . . Happy Valley or some such? All those senior villages sound the same to me.”
Happy Valley? Emily nearly laughed out loud. That said it all, though she doubted it was really the name of the place. “Sounds very nice,” Jessica said, helping Tyler with the zipper on his jacket.
“They serve a decent buffet,” Lillian noted. “I’m just going as a favor to Ezra. There are some wretched card players in that bunch. I hope we don’t get a bad table.”
Well, at least she would be with Ezra today. That was a comfort.
“I’m sure Ezra appreciates your help,” Emily said. She picked up her purse and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Call me when you get back, okay?”
“Do I have a curfew? Have I suddenly regressed to my teenage years?”
“Mother, we just want to know that you got in okay,” Jessica explained. “Humor us, please?”
“Yes, humor us,” Emily echoed, but in a much firmer tone.
Lillian sighed. “I will call. And I’ll speak to a machine, I expect, since neither of you ever deigns to pick up the phone.”
“Good-bye, Mother,” Emily said, heading for the door. “I’ll pick you up for church tomorrow at the usual time.”
“Of course. Whenever that turns out to be,” Lillian grumbled.
“Yes, see you tomorrow, Mother.” Jessica kissed her mother and gave her boys a look. Getting the hint, they politely said good-bye to Lillian. They were more than a little afraid of their grandmother. Lillian liked it that way, considering their apprehension a form of respect.
Once they were outside, Emily stood at Jessica’s car for a few private words. “Well, what do you think? We didn’t get very far.”
Jessica leaned into the backseat to make sure Tyler’s seat belt was secure. “I didn’t think we would, not on the first try.”
“I know, but now that they’re really gone, it’s suddenly hitting me. She’s all alone in there. It’s just not safe, Jess. How can she argue with us about it?”
“I’m worried, too. We definitely have to do something. But it will be easier for us, and for her, if we can get her to agree to some plan. Otherwise—”
“Yes, I know. No point without her signing on.”
Emily looked up to see her mother watching from the front parlor window. She waved, and the curtain quickly snapped back. Emily laughed. “We’re being spied on.”
“She’s suiting up for a royal battle, that’s for sure.” Jessica slipped into the driver’s seat and shut the door. “You’ve had a hard day, Em. Don’t worry about any of this right now. We can’t solve it in one conversation with her. It will all work out—one way or the other. Let me know when Mother calls you later,
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