Look who's here?"
"Hi Mama. I brought you some pretty flowers today." Carrie set them down on the small table next to her mother's bed.
Linda Daniels was only in her mid-fifties. Like Louise, her skin was still smooth and she had very little gray in her long brown hair, but that was where the similarities ended. The stroke she'd suffered left her brain damaged and the right half of her body was permanently paralyzed. In the three years since the dreadful night it happened, her condition had remained virtually unchanged.
"Would you like for me to brush your hair for you, Mama?" asked Carrie. "Then when I'm done, I can braid it. A little braid down the side would sure make you look pretty."
Linda's eyes followed Carrie as she found her mother's hairbrush and began brushing her hair. Once she finished, she picked up a lock and started braiding it. As she worked she wondered how much, if anything, her mother could still comprehend.
"So, how's the rest of your life going, Carrie?" asked Hilda. "Did you get moved into that new apartment yet?"
"Sure did. I've been there since December."
"Good. I was worried about you being camped out in your office. It's not in the best part of town, you know."
"I know, but I kept my doors locked and I didn't venture out after dark."
Hilda looked at Carrie more closely. "Are you all right? You look a little upset about something."
Carrie finished the braid and looked for a rubber band. Hilda found one and handed it to her.
"It's Mr. Greene," she replied. "I just got called into his office, and I felt like a schoolgirl being sent to the principal. I'm doing the best I can, but he feels that it's time to make Mama a ward of the state."
"Well, I certainly can't tell you what to do, but I will say that if you were my daughter I'd want you to be living your life and putting some money away for your own future. You need to think about having a family yourself someday."
"Yeah, like that's going to happen. I'm thirty years old and my boyfriend just dumped me."
"Oh, listen to yourself. You're young, you're beautiful, and there's some man out there who's going to want you. You still have plenty of time to have a family."
Linda started making grunting, babbling noises. Hilda turned to check on her.
"See? You're mother agrees with me. We both know what's best for her, don't we, Linda?"
"I understand what you're saying, Hilda, but the one thing my mother taught me was to never ever to take a handout. Not from anyone. I guess we Daniels women are destined to be working poor. I've already come to terms with the fact that I'll probably never get to live in a fancy house or drive an expensive car, but I can still have a roof over my head, even if I have to camp out in my photography studio, and I'm still able to eat, even if I only get to have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. At least I won't be starving."
Linda started becoming agitated and Carrie was unable to calm her down. Hilda finally had to have one of the nurses come in and give her a shot. Once she'd finally settled back down, Hilda left to tend to other patients. Carrie took a seat next to her mother's bed.
"It's all right, Mama." She reached over and took her mother's hand. "I'm sure I'll figure out something and it'll all turn out okay in the end. I promise."
She held her mother's hand until she fell asleep. When she finally appeared to be resting comfortably, Carrie got up and quietly left the room.
Nine
L ouise's show at Hanson Sisters Fine Art was a smashing success and the critics raved about her work. Carrie received some benefit as well. A few of the people she met on opening night were Louise's former clients, and in need of a commercial photographer. At long last, her photography business was getting a much-needed boost.
Having more clients meant working longer hours and occasional Saturdays. This particular Saturday would be four weeks to the day that Scott had taken her hiking at Lake Pleasant. They had started
"Hi Mama. I brought you some pretty flowers today." Carrie set them down on the small table next to her mother's bed.
Linda Daniels was only in her mid-fifties. Like Louise, her skin was still smooth and she had very little gray in her long brown hair, but that was where the similarities ended. The stroke she'd suffered left her brain damaged and the right half of her body was permanently paralyzed. In the three years since the dreadful night it happened, her condition had remained virtually unchanged.
"Would you like for me to brush your hair for you, Mama?" asked Carrie. "Then when I'm done, I can braid it. A little braid down the side would sure make you look pretty."
Linda's eyes followed Carrie as she found her mother's hairbrush and began brushing her hair. Once she finished, she picked up a lock and started braiding it. As she worked she wondered how much, if anything, her mother could still comprehend.
"So, how's the rest of your life going, Carrie?" asked Hilda. "Did you get moved into that new apartment yet?"
"Sure did. I've been there since December."
"Good. I was worried about you being camped out in your office. It's not in the best part of town, you know."
"I know, but I kept my doors locked and I didn't venture out after dark."
Hilda looked at Carrie more closely. "Are you all right? You look a little upset about something."
Carrie finished the braid and looked for a rubber band. Hilda found one and handed it to her.
"It's Mr. Greene," she replied. "I just got called into his office, and I felt like a schoolgirl being sent to the principal. I'm doing the best I can, but he feels that it's time to make Mama a ward of the state."
"Well, I certainly can't tell you what to do, but I will say that if you were my daughter I'd want you to be living your life and putting some money away for your own future. You need to think about having a family yourself someday."
"Yeah, like that's going to happen. I'm thirty years old and my boyfriend just dumped me."
"Oh, listen to yourself. You're young, you're beautiful, and there's some man out there who's going to want you. You still have plenty of time to have a family."
Linda started making grunting, babbling noises. Hilda turned to check on her.
"See? You're mother agrees with me. We both know what's best for her, don't we, Linda?"
"I understand what you're saying, Hilda, but the one thing my mother taught me was to never ever to take a handout. Not from anyone. I guess we Daniels women are destined to be working poor. I've already come to terms with the fact that I'll probably never get to live in a fancy house or drive an expensive car, but I can still have a roof over my head, even if I have to camp out in my photography studio, and I'm still able to eat, even if I only get to have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. At least I won't be starving."
Linda started becoming agitated and Carrie was unable to calm her down. Hilda finally had to have one of the nurses come in and give her a shot. Once she'd finally settled back down, Hilda left to tend to other patients. Carrie took a seat next to her mother's bed.
"It's all right, Mama." She reached over and took her mother's hand. "I'm sure I'll figure out something and it'll all turn out okay in the end. I promise."
She held her mother's hand until she fell asleep. When she finally appeared to be resting comfortably, Carrie got up and quietly left the room.
Nine
L ouise's show at Hanson Sisters Fine Art was a smashing success and the critics raved about her work. Carrie received some benefit as well. A few of the people she met on opening night were Louise's former clients, and in need of a commercial photographer. At long last, her photography business was getting a much-needed boost.
Having more clients meant working longer hours and occasional Saturdays. This particular Saturday would be four weeks to the day that Scott had taken her hiking at Lake Pleasant. They had started
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