Inside the room, three residents sat on the sofa watching TV. Two other residents were sitting at a table eating a snack, and five, including Addie, were sitting around the card table.
“I’ve got a five!” One of the residents slapped a card on the table.
“Go fish,” another, whose cards kept falling out of his hands, said.
“I’ll raise you a goldfish.” Addie added a card to her pile.
“I’ve got old maid!” a woman with a white bun announced.
The woman next to her frowned at her. “Who did you say was an old maid?”
The woman with the bun thought for a second and then replied, “I am!”
They all burst out laughing, each of them putting down cards and randomly picking up others. They weren’t really playing a structured game. It was more like they were pushing the cards around the table, but apparently it worked for them.
“Your mom has made lots of friends. She’s fitting in very nicely here,” one of the nurses who’d been standing in the back watching said to Jane and Andie.
Jane’s heart soared as she watched her mother laughing and interacting with the other residents. She was animated and truly enjoying herself. “That really takes a load of worry off. They look like they are having so much fun.”
“I know. Sometimes I think my mom has more fun when I’m not here,” the woman with the salt-and-pepper hair said.
“They don’t always make a lot of sense, and they have their issues, but it’s as if they speak the same language,” the nurse said.
As Jane watched her mother, she felt the burden of worry about her mom lifting from her shoulders. In that moment, she knew that no matter what, her mother was going to be okay.
Chapter 30
It took a few days for the reality that things might work out after all to settle in for Jane.Everything is coming together, and Andie is really bringing the garden to life,Jane thought as she admired the mounds of pink flowers along the edge of the driveway. Cooper sniffed at a bush with long sprigs of purple flowers, disrupting an orange-and-black monarch butterfly.
“The pink flowers are impatiens. Remember Mom used to plant them?” Andie stood beside her, admiring her own handiwork.
“I remember. She’d replace them with mums in the fall.” Jane wondered if Andie was planning on doing the same. Would she be around in the fall?
“Impatiens are annuals, so they have to be removed at the end of summer.” Andie stepped back to get a wider view of the edge of the driveway. “Mums would look great all along here and in some big planters near the bathroom.”
“Good idea. Now that everything has been approved and I know the wedding is really happening, it might be smart to spruce the bathroom area up with flowers.”
“I’m really glad things are working out, and the wedding is kind of exciting,” Andie said.
“Yeah, except the more I talk to the bride, the more I wonder if this is going to be as easy as I thought.”
“Oh no. Bridezilla?”
“Maybe. She keeps making strange demands. Like special cake frosting and a particular type of candle.”
“Maybe she’s just nervous. I’m sure everything will be fine,” Andie assured her. “Anyone would be nervous with a wedding coming in two weeks. But look on the bright side. We’ll have an inn full of guests and get good experience.”
“And bookings are up in general.” Jane frowned. “I don’t love dealing with the people, though. I’m better with the behind-the-scenes stuff.”
“True, but I see you’ve been stepping out of your comfort zone and interacting with them. It’s kind of fun talking to them, isn’t it? Meeting new folks from different places. They’re usually happy, too, because they’re on vacation.”
“I don’t think it’s that fun.” Jane hesitated then decided to go for it. “If you think it’s fun, though, maybe you should stay on. I could use the help.”
A look of surprise flashed in Andie’s eyes, but at least she appeared to consider Jane’s invitation. “I don’t know. I have to admit I like the pace here. At work I spent most of my time indoors, and this is nice.” Andie waved her hand to indicate the garden and ocean beyond. “I’m not sure there would be enough for me to do here, though.”
“Well, you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like. You might be surprised at how much there is to do.” Lobster Bay might not be as busy and hectic as Andie was used to, but what’s so great about being busy and hectic? Maybe Andie needed to get out of her comfort zone too.
“I might take you up on that.” Andie looked at Jane’s outfit. “You look dressed up. Where are you off to?”
