quite himself today.” Veronica clears her throat and takes the seat on his other side. “He had another episode this morning. Kept calling me . . . Maggie.”
My chest tightens.
That was my mother’s name.
“It was like he’d completely forgotten which decade we’re in,” she laments, but I don’t think she cares about him. I think she’s more concerned with her window of opportunity fading.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
I find it interesting that she hasn’t visited in weeks, and now she’s here. A few days after I fled Belcourt for a couple of hours.
Eudora had to have mentioned something.
“I wanted to let you know.” She steps over her words carefully, her tight eyes jutting all over the room. “Your father gave me sole medical power of attorney. Our dual power of attorney is temporarily suspended, given your current state.”
“What? No. You can’t do that.”
“No, no, dear. Your father decided.” Her legs cross, and her expression is emotionless. Then again, it usually is. The woman’s face is so filled, she can hardly smile anymore.
“My father? The man who doesn’t even know who you are half the time?” My voice is raised. “He’s not in any condition to make changes like that, and you know it.”
“And you’re not in any condition to make decisions about anyone’s care, including yourself. I had to do what’s best for the family.”
I could slap her, and I’m not a violent person. A million words fly through my mind, threatening to take a detour to my lips.
But I remember Derek’s advice. We can’t let her know we’re onto her. It’ll only make things harder.
“The family?” I scoff. “You’re not a part of this family, Veronica.”
“I care about you, sweetheart.” She leans across the table, placing her hand over mine, but I yank it away. Her expression is a phony kind of warm, but her touch is cold as ice. “I know you don’t believe it, but I do. I love my Harold, and part of loving Harold is loving his daughter.”
“Don’t sit here at my table and feed me lies in front of my ailing father. Have a little more respect.” I rise, staring down at my father in his catatonic state. His face twitches, and his eyes almost sputter to life. He looks up at me, then to Veronica.
“Ladies, what is going on?” he asks, appearing for a moment to be somewhat lucid.
Veronica’s lips waver and dance as she looks at me.
“Daddy, did you know Veronica made herself your sole medical power of attorney?” I ask.
He folds his meaty knuckled hands across his bulbous belly, his bushy white brows meeting in the middle.
“Yes, Serena. We made that decision together.” His words break my heart. He only thinks they made the decision together. I know manipulation when I see it. “You’re not well, princess. As soon as you’re back to yourself again, everything will go back to the way it was.”
“So if something happens to you—God forbid—you’re okay with Veronica making all your medical decisions?” I fold my arms, glaring at my evil-incarnate stepmother.
His face relaxes, and he stares ahead, groaning and grumbling under his breath. He shifts, uncomfortable in his wheelchair. And then he looks at me, his face twisted as a question mark.
“Who’s Veronica?” he asks.
I throw my hands in the air. Just like that, he’s gone. And it’s too late, because Veronica’s already weaseling her way into the family fortune. The day my father’s connected to a machine, she’ll be the first one telling the doctors to pull the plug—assuming she gets her way with the inheritance first.
At least when she shared medical power of attorney, there were safeguards in place.
“He has his moments, Serena. Please don’t be frustrated,” Veronica says. “Believe me when I say these decisions were discussed during his coherent stretches.”
“Right.” My lips form a hard line. “Is this all you came here for? Will you be on your way now?”
Bettina
My chest tightens.
That was my mother’s name.
“It was like he’d completely forgotten which decade we’re in,” she laments, but I don’t think she cares about him. I think she’s more concerned with her window of opportunity fading.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
I find it interesting that she hasn’t visited in weeks, and now she’s here. A few days after I fled Belcourt for a couple of hours.
Eudora had to have mentioned something.
“I wanted to let you know.” She steps over her words carefully, her tight eyes jutting all over the room. “Your father gave me sole medical power of attorney. Our dual power of attorney is temporarily suspended, given your current state.”
“What? No. You can’t do that.”
“No, no, dear. Your father decided.” Her legs cross, and her expression is emotionless. Then again, it usually is. The woman’s face is so filled, she can hardly smile anymore.
“My father? The man who doesn’t even know who you are half the time?” My voice is raised. “He’s not in any condition to make changes like that, and you know it.”
“And you’re not in any condition to make decisions about anyone’s care, including yourself. I had to do what’s best for the family.”
I could slap her, and I’m not a violent person. A million words fly through my mind, threatening to take a detour to my lips.
But I remember Derek’s advice. We can’t let her know we’re onto her. It’ll only make things harder.
“The family?” I scoff. “You’re not a part of this family, Veronica.”
“I care about you, sweetheart.” She leans across the table, placing her hand over mine, but I yank it away. Her expression is a phony kind of warm, but her touch is cold as ice. “I know you don’t believe it, but I do. I love my Harold, and part of loving Harold is loving his daughter.”
“Don’t sit here at my table and feed me lies in front of my ailing father. Have a little more respect.” I rise, staring down at my father in his catatonic state. His face twitches, and his eyes almost sputter to life. He looks up at me, then to Veronica.
“Ladies, what is going on?” he asks, appearing for a moment to be somewhat lucid.
Veronica’s lips waver and dance as she looks at me.
“Daddy, did you know Veronica made herself your sole medical power of attorney?” I ask.
He folds his meaty knuckled hands across his bulbous belly, his bushy white brows meeting in the middle.
“Yes, Serena. We made that decision together.” His words break my heart. He only thinks they made the decision together. I know manipulation when I see it. “You’re not well, princess. As soon as you’re back to yourself again, everything will go back to the way it was.”
“So if something happens to you—God forbid—you’re okay with Veronica making all your medical decisions?” I fold my arms, glaring at my evil-incarnate stepmother.
His face relaxes, and he stares ahead, groaning and grumbling under his breath. He shifts, uncomfortable in his wheelchair. And then he looks at me, his face twisted as a question mark.
“Who’s Veronica?” he asks.
I throw my hands in the air. Just like that, he’s gone. And it’s too late, because Veronica’s already weaseling her way into the family fortune. The day my father’s connected to a machine, she’ll be the first one telling the doctors to pull the plug—assuming she gets her way with the inheritance first.
At least when she shared medical power of attorney, there were safeguards in place.
“He has his moments, Serena. Please don’t be frustrated,” Veronica says. “Believe me when I say these decisions were discussed during his coherent stretches.”
“Right.” My lips form a hard line. “Is this all you came here for? Will you be on your way now?”
Bettina
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