Winds of Change by Anna Jacobs

Regina. If Miranda came to help him out, he might be able to help her slay her own dragon. She certainly needed help.
    Tears came into his eyes as he suddenly realized that he could still be useful, even in his present condition. It’d be very satisfying to help a decent person like Miranda Fox rebuild her confidence and make a better life for herself.
    He dashed away the tears, glad no one was there to see this weakness. It felt so good to be
useful
still. It’d been horrible for a man who’d always led a very active life to come out of hospital and feel he was just sitting around like a piece of rubbish, waiting to be disposed of.
    Smiling, he went to switch on his computer and start a new folder, calling it ‘Miranda’s Dragons’. With many pauses for thought he began to make a list, this one for his eyes only.
    The afternoon had nearly gone before he knew where he was. Air conditioning whispered quietly around him, keeping another hot day at bay, and the other tenants were mercifully quiet.
    The doorbell roused him from his labours and he glanced at his watch. Damn! It’d be his niece. Hilary came round twice a week to bring him a supply of healthy meals, most of which he threw away after she’d gone.
    He signed off. He not only had it password protected, he stored some files permanently on another site. She wasn’t getting a chance to see what was on his computer, whatever happened. He rolled his wheelchair slowly along the corridor to the living room, making a mental note that somehow he must find a way to stop Hilary chasing Miranda away.
    She had let herself in and dumped some shopping bags in the kitchen by the time he joined her.
    â€˜There you are, Uncle Louis. You look tired. You spend far too much time on that computer of yours, you know. Come and have a rest while I make your tea.’
    He did as he was told because it was easier, and, anyway, he was a bit tired.
    â€˜Have you thought any more about the care home I found, Uncle?’
    â€˜Of course not. I threw the brochures away. I’ve already told you I’m not ready for that sort of place.’
    â€˜You need to get everything sorted out before it’s too late. You don’t have to go into it immediately, though you might enjoy having company and activities. You spend far too much time on your own.’
    He let her talk on because he knew he didn’t have to do as she wanted. He’d better change the power of attorney he’d given her, though, to make sure she couldn’t override his wishes towards the end. He’d do that tomorrow. He pulled out his little notebook and jotted it down.
See Sally Patel re power of attorney.
He had one of the smartest lawyers in town, and Sally was a friend as well.
    Miranda was relieved when Regina decided to go round to visit Sebastian that afternoon. She need to think about Lou’s offer.
    Having waved goodbye to her half-sister, Miranda went to sit on the back veranda, staring out across the huge garden. The near part was immaculately cared for but too neat for her liking. She didn’t like to see plants regimented like this and suspected they never did their best under such conditions. But her father had considered that to be the purpose of human intervention in the plant world: to tame nature and force order on it. Her own patch of garden was further towards the back, out of sight. There, plants flowered riotously and tomatoes grew so well in the warm summer sunshine she had to give some of them away to the neighbours.
    She couldn’t focus on her own problems, however, because she couldn’t stop thinking of Nikki. Poor girl! She was even younger than Miranda had been when she’d made the same mistake. And though people said they understood, they didn’t. It was terrifying as well as exciting to think that you’d created a new life, to know that your body now housed two people.
    She hoped Regina would bear in mind what