them on a fresh towel from her linen drawer and made a mental note to change her kitchen hand towels every day. She scooped two spoons of coffee into her cappuccino machine and grabbed some skim milk from the refrigerator. Her father was in another world. She steamed the milk for her coffee, wondering how her seventy-two-year-old mother had been taking care of someone in that condition. Thank God for Selma. She seemed more than capable. Ann took her drink to the island and pulled the stool out from underneath. She sat there, staring out the back window at the guesthouse, glad for the seventy yards between her parents and herself.
After a few sips from her mug, Ann called Mike. When she got his voice mail, she hung up and called his secretary. If anyone could find Mike, it was Peggy. At fifty-five, Peggy had more energy than anyone in the office, Mike included. And she was unusually loyal to Mike for a woman not interested in seducing him. Mike depended on her for booking his travel, his meetings, and his manicures, putting the right people through on his phone, finding the perfect gift for Ann, ensuring his long days didn’t get any longer, and, on some days, making sure he ate lunch. Plus, she knew how to keep her mouth shut. And for this he paid her three times the salary of the other Dilloway executive assistants. “Yes, Mrs. Barons,” said Peggy. “And how are you today?”
“Fine, Peggy. Do you know where he is?”
“In a meeting,” she said. “It’s scheduled to run another hour. My guess is it will go over.” Ann sighed. “I can text him, Mrs. Barons.” Mike, Ann knew, would not consider her father’s condition an emergency, so she asked Peggy to tell Mike to call her as soon as he could.
Next, Ann called Sally, who answered the phone on the third ring. “Sally, it’s me.”
“Hello, darling,” said Sally. “Where have you been? We missed you at the gym this morning.”
“I exercised here,” said Ann. “My parents arrived today.”
“Yes, yes, of course they did,” said Sally. “And how is everyone?”
“Terrible,” said Ann. “My father is completely out of it. I don’t know how in the world he got this way. Last Christmas, he seemed fine.”
“What do you mean by ‘out of it’?” asked Sally.
“He’s gone, Sally, mentally and physically,” said Ann, massaging her forehead. “He has no idea what’s going on. He drools constantly. Sally, he didn’t know me when he saw me.”
“Oh God,” said Sally. “You poor thing. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know,” said Ann. “I had no idea what I was getting into. My mother didn’t tell me any of this.”
“Do you need a cappuccino?” asked Sally.
“I just had one,” said Ann.
“Do you want me to come over?”
Ann thought about Sally’s offer. On the one hand, she would love Sally to keep her company. They could talk about Ann’s problem and Sally would provide enough sympathy to quell—temporarily at least—Ann’s anxiety. On the other hand, Sally wasn’t completely trustworthy. If Ann wanted her innermost feelings spread all over town, she could do it herself. Still, Sally was always so affirming. Ann was just about to invite her when she heard her mother tapping on the back door. “I’ll have to call you back,” she said, hanging up the phone. Ann walked to the door and opened it. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” said Eileen, crossed arms holding her thick wool cardigan sweater in place. “We’re fine. Your father fell asleep on the couch, so I thought I’d sneak over here and have a chat with you. You looked like you were in shock, honey.”
“Well, yes,” said Ann, closing the door behind her mother and pulling a chair out from underneath the kitchen table so she could sit.
“He’s not as bad as he appears,” said Eileen, removing her sweater and then tucking the hem of her floral traveling dress underneath her before she sat.
“That’s good,” said Ann, “because he
After a few sips from her mug, Ann called Mike. When she got his voice mail, she hung up and called his secretary. If anyone could find Mike, it was Peggy. At fifty-five, Peggy had more energy than anyone in the office, Mike included. And she was unusually loyal to Mike for a woman not interested in seducing him. Mike depended on her for booking his travel, his meetings, and his manicures, putting the right people through on his phone, finding the perfect gift for Ann, ensuring his long days didn’t get any longer, and, on some days, making sure he ate lunch. Plus, she knew how to keep her mouth shut. And for this he paid her three times the salary of the other Dilloway executive assistants. “Yes, Mrs. Barons,” said Peggy. “And how are you today?”
“Fine, Peggy. Do you know where he is?”
“In a meeting,” she said. “It’s scheduled to run another hour. My guess is it will go over.” Ann sighed. “I can text him, Mrs. Barons.” Mike, Ann knew, would not consider her father’s condition an emergency, so she asked Peggy to tell Mike to call her as soon as he could.
Next, Ann called Sally, who answered the phone on the third ring. “Sally, it’s me.”
“Hello, darling,” said Sally. “Where have you been? We missed you at the gym this morning.”
“I exercised here,” said Ann. “My parents arrived today.”
“Yes, yes, of course they did,” said Sally. “And how is everyone?”
“Terrible,” said Ann. “My father is completely out of it. I don’t know how in the world he got this way. Last Christmas, he seemed fine.”
“What do you mean by ‘out of it’?” asked Sally.
“He’s gone, Sally, mentally and physically,” said Ann, massaging her forehead. “He has no idea what’s going on. He drools constantly. Sally, he didn’t know me when he saw me.”
“Oh God,” said Sally. “You poor thing. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know,” said Ann. “I had no idea what I was getting into. My mother didn’t tell me any of this.”
“Do you need a cappuccino?” asked Sally.
“I just had one,” said Ann.
“Do you want me to come over?”
Ann thought about Sally’s offer. On the one hand, she would love Sally to keep her company. They could talk about Ann’s problem and Sally would provide enough sympathy to quell—temporarily at least—Ann’s anxiety. On the other hand, Sally wasn’t completely trustworthy. If Ann wanted her innermost feelings spread all over town, she could do it herself. Still, Sally was always so affirming. Ann was just about to invite her when she heard her mother tapping on the back door. “I’ll have to call you back,” she said, hanging up the phone. Ann walked to the door and opened it. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” said Eileen, crossed arms holding her thick wool cardigan sweater in place. “We’re fine. Your father fell asleep on the couch, so I thought I’d sneak over here and have a chat with you. You looked like you were in shock, honey.”
“Well, yes,” said Ann, closing the door behind her mother and pulling a chair out from underneath the kitchen table so she could sit.
“He’s not as bad as he appears,” said Eileen, removing her sweater and then tucking the hem of her floral traveling dress underneath her before she sat.
“That’s good,” said Ann, “because he
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