open doorway, I shut the front door with a bang, startling her a little, but at least she isn’t mid-spin this time, so instead of falling and breaking a bone, she turns to me in surprise then smiles when she sees me.
“I thought I wasn’t going to see you until tomorrow?”
“Uh, you weren’t,” I say, looking down at the strength band that has now fallen to the floor. “Is this what you do every afternoon when I go back to work?”
She nods. “Yeah. Well, except for when I go back with you, of course. But yeah, I exercise. I tried dancing but that didn’t turn out so great. So staying limber is the next best thing.” Leaning down, she picks up the green band and places it on the counter before sliding her hand over the top of her hair.
I stand there and look at her for a moment, trying to find a way to start the conversation I came here to have. But for some reason, the words don’t come out and instead I hear myself saying, “Would you like to come for a drive – if you’re not busy of course?”
She doesn’t hesitate. “Sure,” she says. “Just let me grab my purse.”
I wait by the door for her as she hobbles around then smiles at me when she’s ready. I usher her out the door and hold her hand to steady her as she steps down the front stoop and heads for my car. I open the door and hold it for her, as she slides into the comfortable leather interior, being careful not to knock her cast.
“All good?” I ask, and she nods so I close the door for her and walk over to the driver’s side, tossing the keys up in the air and catching them before I slip in next to her and start the car.
“So where are we going?” she asks once we’re heading back down the street.
“To see my grandmother.”
“Your grandmother? I thought she died. Didn’t you say you inherited the house from her?”
I glance at her and smile. “I do have two parents you know. And they had parents too. So…two grandmothers.”
“Oh, that was really dumb. I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I only knew my mom’s mom because my parents split, and my dad took off when I was too young to remember. I just assumed because you said you were from a single mother too.”
“Single mom, and an absent dad, yeah. But my dad’s mom is the one who died and left me the house. She was always pretty good to me. She didn’t leave a thing to my dad because she was angry with him for taking off on his family. But my mom’s mom – my grams, she’s still alive. But she’s in a nursing home now. My mom’s always been too busy with her own selfish life. So I make sure I go and visit her every month.”
“That’s nice of you.”
“Is it?” I shrug. “I don’t know. She doesn’t seem to know who I am most of the time. So I wonder if I’m just confusing her.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
“More often than not these days. But, it’s a good visit when she remembers who I am. When it’s not, I just go with it.”
“So you play the part of whoever she thinks you are?”
Glancing over at her briefly, I give her a half smile. “Basically, yeah.”
“There used to be a homeless lady who spent a lot of time on our block. She always thought every one was her daughter.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. I thought it was really sad. I mean, how torturous to see the face of someone you love all over the place but for it to never be them.”
She lets out a sigh and looks out the window at the passing scenery, and I watch her when I can, as if just observing her will help me figure out why listening to her speak, results in a craving pain that resides between my chest and my guts. What is it I want from her?
She’s Josh’s girl.
After driving for an hour, I pull up outside the nursing home and help Avery out of the car, keeping a hand resting gently around her waist protectively to make sure she keeps her balance, and I can easily help her when we have to go up a couple of stairs.
“Dylan!” Katie, one of the caregivers calls out
“I thought I wasn’t going to see you until tomorrow?”
“Uh, you weren’t,” I say, looking down at the strength band that has now fallen to the floor. “Is this what you do every afternoon when I go back to work?”
She nods. “Yeah. Well, except for when I go back with you, of course. But yeah, I exercise. I tried dancing but that didn’t turn out so great. So staying limber is the next best thing.” Leaning down, she picks up the green band and places it on the counter before sliding her hand over the top of her hair.
I stand there and look at her for a moment, trying to find a way to start the conversation I came here to have. But for some reason, the words don’t come out and instead I hear myself saying, “Would you like to come for a drive – if you’re not busy of course?”
She doesn’t hesitate. “Sure,” she says. “Just let me grab my purse.”
I wait by the door for her as she hobbles around then smiles at me when she’s ready. I usher her out the door and hold her hand to steady her as she steps down the front stoop and heads for my car. I open the door and hold it for her, as she slides into the comfortable leather interior, being careful not to knock her cast.
“All good?” I ask, and she nods so I close the door for her and walk over to the driver’s side, tossing the keys up in the air and catching them before I slip in next to her and start the car.
“So where are we going?” she asks once we’re heading back down the street.
“To see my grandmother.”
“Your grandmother? I thought she died. Didn’t you say you inherited the house from her?”
I glance at her and smile. “I do have two parents you know. And they had parents too. So…two grandmothers.”
“Oh, that was really dumb. I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I only knew my mom’s mom because my parents split, and my dad took off when I was too young to remember. I just assumed because you said you were from a single mother too.”
“Single mom, and an absent dad, yeah. But my dad’s mom is the one who died and left me the house. She was always pretty good to me. She didn’t leave a thing to my dad because she was angry with him for taking off on his family. But my mom’s mom – my grams, she’s still alive. But she’s in a nursing home now. My mom’s always been too busy with her own selfish life. So I make sure I go and visit her every month.”
“That’s nice of you.”
“Is it?” I shrug. “I don’t know. She doesn’t seem to know who I am most of the time. So I wonder if I’m just confusing her.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
“More often than not these days. But, it’s a good visit when she remembers who I am. When it’s not, I just go with it.”
“So you play the part of whoever she thinks you are?”
Glancing over at her briefly, I give her a half smile. “Basically, yeah.”
“There used to be a homeless lady who spent a lot of time on our block. She always thought every one was her daughter.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. I thought it was really sad. I mean, how torturous to see the face of someone you love all over the place but for it to never be them.”
She lets out a sigh and looks out the window at the passing scenery, and I watch her when I can, as if just observing her will help me figure out why listening to her speak, results in a craving pain that resides between my chest and my guts. What is it I want from her?
She’s Josh’s girl.
After driving for an hour, I pull up outside the nursing home and help Avery out of the car, keeping a hand resting gently around her waist protectively to make sure she keeps her balance, and I can easily help her when we have to go up a couple of stairs.
“Dylan!” Katie, one of the caregivers calls out
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