figure out she wasn't a man.
The nurse pulled out a binder and opened it. Her finger skimmed down the page and she tapped her cheek as she read. “Wade Whilby, you said?”
Deborah nodded and hunched her shoulders. “Yeah. My sister Deb told me she put me on the list. I'm in town for a few days and wanted to see our mother.”
The nurse looked back at Deborah with raised eyebrows.
Please believe me!
“Ah! Here's your name. Sorry for the questions, but the last time your sister was here was more than a year ago. The only visitor since then has been her wife.”
“I guess Genevieve checked in on Mom since she's the one paying the bills,” Deborah replied easily and waited for the nurse to give her a pass.
The nurse rested her hand on the phone as if she was going to pick it up, and a trickle of sweat dripped down the side of Deborah's face. Finally, when the nurse took out a white pass and left it on the top of the desk, Deborah's shoulders relaxed and her knees unlocked.
“Your mother is in room 504. Walk down the hall and make the left where the elevators are. The nursing staff upstairs can help you if need be.”
Deborah grabbed the pass and nodded her thanks. The nurse nodded in return and picked up the phone when it started ringing.
The walk to the elevator and the ride up took seconds, but it felt more like hours. When she arrived on the fifth floor and the doors opened, she walked out into the hall, saw the sign on the wall with an arrow to 504, and went in that direction.
She couldn't believe it had been so long since she last saw her mother. With the cancer eating away at her body, she could no longer function on her own and was stuck to her bed. The last time she had seen her mother was when she and Genevieve had come to visit her at her former facility. The doctors there believed she didn't have much longer to live. Genevieve thought the same and moved her mother into a much more expensive care service after Deborah had come back after the first time she'd left her. Genevieve agreed her mother needed the best care possible. It was also Genevieve's way of controlling her. If she ever thought of leaving Gen again, Gen would take it out on her mother.
When Deborah arrived at her mother's room, she walked inside. The sounds of an oxygen tank filled the dim room, and when Deborah ventured in further, she covered her mouth. Her eyes grew damp as she saw her mother asleep in her bed. She looked so frail and peaceful, as if she was already dead.
“Mommy,” Deborah whispered brokenly, and left her suitcase in the corner, walking over to the side of the bed where she pulled over a chair and sat down. She gazed on the woman she loved more than her own life and a sob left her mouth as she carefully picked up her mother's limp hand and held it to her cheek.
Tears fell down her face and she sniffed loudly, unable to stop her shoulders from shaking as she cried. She swallowed and closed her eyes, her chest heaving. Again she whispered, “Mommy.”
This time her mother's eyelids flickered and a moan left her mouth as she turned her head. When she opened her eyes, she blinked a few times and grimaced.
Deborah kept her mother's hand against her cheek and licked her dry lips. “Mom, do you know who I am?”
A wheeze escaped Cora Whilby. “I think I know who my own child is, even with that getup on. Please tell me that evil woman you married is dead.”
Deborah laughed hoarsely and when her mother lifted up her other hand toward her face, Deborah leaned over and embraced her mother, finally reunited after being separated for so long.
* * * *
“I can't believe you destroyed your beautiful hair. Did you have to make it so dark?” her mother groused as she fingered Deborah's short, prickly hair.
“You know I had to do it. It's the only way I can be certain I'll be safe.” Deborah pointed out as she rubbed a palm over her head. For the last hour her mother not only complained about her hair, but her eye
The nurse pulled out a binder and opened it. Her finger skimmed down the page and she tapped her cheek as she read. “Wade Whilby, you said?”
Deborah nodded and hunched her shoulders. “Yeah. My sister Deb told me she put me on the list. I'm in town for a few days and wanted to see our mother.”
The nurse looked back at Deborah with raised eyebrows.
Please believe me!
“Ah! Here's your name. Sorry for the questions, but the last time your sister was here was more than a year ago. The only visitor since then has been her wife.”
“I guess Genevieve checked in on Mom since she's the one paying the bills,” Deborah replied easily and waited for the nurse to give her a pass.
The nurse rested her hand on the phone as if she was going to pick it up, and a trickle of sweat dripped down the side of Deborah's face. Finally, when the nurse took out a white pass and left it on the top of the desk, Deborah's shoulders relaxed and her knees unlocked.
“Your mother is in room 504. Walk down the hall and make the left where the elevators are. The nursing staff upstairs can help you if need be.”
Deborah grabbed the pass and nodded her thanks. The nurse nodded in return and picked up the phone when it started ringing.
The walk to the elevator and the ride up took seconds, but it felt more like hours. When she arrived on the fifth floor and the doors opened, she walked out into the hall, saw the sign on the wall with an arrow to 504, and went in that direction.
She couldn't believe it had been so long since she last saw her mother. With the cancer eating away at her body, she could no longer function on her own and was stuck to her bed. The last time she had seen her mother was when she and Genevieve had come to visit her at her former facility. The doctors there believed she didn't have much longer to live. Genevieve thought the same and moved her mother into a much more expensive care service after Deborah had come back after the first time she'd left her. Genevieve agreed her mother needed the best care possible. It was also Genevieve's way of controlling her. If she ever thought of leaving Gen again, Gen would take it out on her mother.
When Deborah arrived at her mother's room, she walked inside. The sounds of an oxygen tank filled the dim room, and when Deborah ventured in further, she covered her mouth. Her eyes grew damp as she saw her mother asleep in her bed. She looked so frail and peaceful, as if she was already dead.
“Mommy,” Deborah whispered brokenly, and left her suitcase in the corner, walking over to the side of the bed where she pulled over a chair and sat down. She gazed on the woman she loved more than her own life and a sob left her mouth as she carefully picked up her mother's limp hand and held it to her cheek.
Tears fell down her face and she sniffed loudly, unable to stop her shoulders from shaking as she cried. She swallowed and closed her eyes, her chest heaving. Again she whispered, “Mommy.”
This time her mother's eyelids flickered and a moan left her mouth as she turned her head. When she opened her eyes, she blinked a few times and grimaced.
Deborah kept her mother's hand against her cheek and licked her dry lips. “Mom, do you know who I am?”
A wheeze escaped Cora Whilby. “I think I know who my own child is, even with that getup on. Please tell me that evil woman you married is dead.”
Deborah laughed hoarsely and when her mother lifted up her other hand toward her face, Deborah leaned over and embraced her mother, finally reunited after being separated for so long.
* * * *
“I can't believe you destroyed your beautiful hair. Did you have to make it so dark?” her mother groused as she fingered Deborah's short, prickly hair.
“You know I had to do it. It's the only way I can be certain I'll be safe.” Deborah pointed out as she rubbed a palm over her head. For the last hour her mother not only complained about her hair, but her eye
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