actually did. “You know that before Alex moved in with me that I took Blue to work with me every day so she wouldn’t be alone?”
Rosemary smiled again. It was wan but it was a definite smile.
“Alex told me that. It’s what made me think I could maybe like you.”
Maybe she could like me. That was ringing endorsement. I suppressed a sigh.
“Don’t worry. I’ll grow on you. Like moss,” I said and actually got a watery chuckle.
“Your mother has been wonderful at trying to include us in the wedding plans. Many mothers of the bride wouldn’t bother. I certainly didn’t.”
“Well, Mom wants help bullying me into wedlock as quickly as possible. I am already two months behind my Cousin Althea and it is killing her. If Althea gets pregnant right away there will be no living with her. I’ll have to change my name and leave town.”
Alex came back and found his mother giggling. He looked more shocked at that than he did when he heard about his dad. He sat down beside me and took my hand.
“Okay, what are you up to?” he demanded.
“Oh, just girl talk,” I said airily. “Why don’t you and your mom go in and see Bob one more time and then we’ll head home. It’s almost eight and we are all tired.”
“Okay,” Alex said, rising again.
“But you come too, Chloe,” Rosemary said. “You’re family now. Bob will want to see you.”
Well, I never thought I’d hear that. But I smiled and went along. It might help Bob to see that peace, however tenuous, finally reined.
Chapter 8
Bob was released the next day, with a long list of instructions of things not to do. I was a bit nervous at this quick turnaround, but his relief— and Alex’s— at being out of the hospital was so strong that I didn’t let my unease at this responsibility show.
Knowing that Bob was coming home that afternoon, I spent some of my free morning cooking appropriate food. The house smelled very homey and Bob fell on his vegetable soup with all the gusto of a starving werewolf at full moon. Since the soup was super low sodium and no fat, and therefore not real fun, it had to mean that he was feeling better and that the hospital food was dire.
“Maybe Bob should have a nurse. Or go to a rehabilitation home for a while.”
“No.” Bob paused eating long enough to disagree.
“Or we could get you a motorized wheelchair.”
“No!” Bob said emphatically. “The doc says I’m fine and I need to walk. And one more word about wheelchairs and I’ll hop the next bus to Reno where I can smoke and eat dawn to dusk at the all-you-can-eat buffets.”
Rosemary gasped. She wasn’t helping Bob stay calm and Alex was unable to check her. Honestly! Someone needed to slip her a chill pill.
“Rosemary, Bob won’t be alone. You and Mary Elizabeth will be here during the day to make sure he doesn’t over-do it. Alex too. And my family will be checking in, never doubt it. Mom is bringing a casserole tonight. She has had a lot of years to learn how to cook yummy low fat and low sodium food. And if Bob or you need anything, help and company is one phone call away.”
Bob shot me a grateful look. Rosemary frowned but I took it as a good sign that she didn’t suggest that Gwen come up to help. There were apparently some bounds to the delusions she had about her daughter, and for this I was grateful. I could stand Bob and Rosemary and the cats— I might even like Bob if I got to know him— but Gwen and her demon-spawn was a line I would not cross. I suspected that she would be useless anyway. I have never met a more spoiled, self-absorbed person. Her hysterical phone calls six times a day were bad enough since they wound Rosemary up. Bob needed peace, not the drama of Rosemary junior on steroids. We did not want an encore heart attack.
“And”, I said firmly, again hiding my misgivings since they were not intuition just free-floating fear. “Tomorrow Mary Elizabeth is taking you and Mom under her wing and giving you makeovers
Rosemary smiled again. It was wan but it was a definite smile.
“Alex told me that. It’s what made me think I could maybe like you.”
Maybe she could like me. That was ringing endorsement. I suppressed a sigh.
“Don’t worry. I’ll grow on you. Like moss,” I said and actually got a watery chuckle.
“Your mother has been wonderful at trying to include us in the wedding plans. Many mothers of the bride wouldn’t bother. I certainly didn’t.”
“Well, Mom wants help bullying me into wedlock as quickly as possible. I am already two months behind my Cousin Althea and it is killing her. If Althea gets pregnant right away there will be no living with her. I’ll have to change my name and leave town.”
Alex came back and found his mother giggling. He looked more shocked at that than he did when he heard about his dad. He sat down beside me and took my hand.
“Okay, what are you up to?” he demanded.
“Oh, just girl talk,” I said airily. “Why don’t you and your mom go in and see Bob one more time and then we’ll head home. It’s almost eight and we are all tired.”
“Okay,” Alex said, rising again.
“But you come too, Chloe,” Rosemary said. “You’re family now. Bob will want to see you.”
Well, I never thought I’d hear that. But I smiled and went along. It might help Bob to see that peace, however tenuous, finally reined.
Chapter 8
Bob was released the next day, with a long list of instructions of things not to do. I was a bit nervous at this quick turnaround, but his relief— and Alex’s— at being out of the hospital was so strong that I didn’t let my unease at this responsibility show.
Knowing that Bob was coming home that afternoon, I spent some of my free morning cooking appropriate food. The house smelled very homey and Bob fell on his vegetable soup with all the gusto of a starving werewolf at full moon. Since the soup was super low sodium and no fat, and therefore not real fun, it had to mean that he was feeling better and that the hospital food was dire.
“Maybe Bob should have a nurse. Or go to a rehabilitation home for a while.”
“No.” Bob paused eating long enough to disagree.
“Or we could get you a motorized wheelchair.”
“No!” Bob said emphatically. “The doc says I’m fine and I need to walk. And one more word about wheelchairs and I’ll hop the next bus to Reno where I can smoke and eat dawn to dusk at the all-you-can-eat buffets.”
Rosemary gasped. She wasn’t helping Bob stay calm and Alex was unable to check her. Honestly! Someone needed to slip her a chill pill.
“Rosemary, Bob won’t be alone. You and Mary Elizabeth will be here during the day to make sure he doesn’t over-do it. Alex too. And my family will be checking in, never doubt it. Mom is bringing a casserole tonight. She has had a lot of years to learn how to cook yummy low fat and low sodium food. And if Bob or you need anything, help and company is one phone call away.”
Bob shot me a grateful look. Rosemary frowned but I took it as a good sign that she didn’t suggest that Gwen come up to help. There were apparently some bounds to the delusions she had about her daughter, and for this I was grateful. I could stand Bob and Rosemary and the cats— I might even like Bob if I got to know him— but Gwen and her demon-spawn was a line I would not cross. I suspected that she would be useless anyway. I have never met a more spoiled, self-absorbed person. Her hysterical phone calls six times a day were bad enough since they wound Rosemary up. Bob needed peace, not the drama of Rosemary junior on steroids. We did not want an encore heart attack.
“And”, I said firmly, again hiding my misgivings since they were not intuition just free-floating fear. “Tomorrow Mary Elizabeth is taking you and Mom under her wing and giving you makeovers
Similar Books
