“Hey there.” A male’s hushed voice came from the doorframe.She looked over her shoulder to see Miguel lurking in the shadows, probably trying not to upset Dad. Who knew what might happen if Dad spotted his archenemy lurking nearby. She’d never seen her dad so angry before. As if Miguel was personally responsible for all the woes of the world. Jewel quietly rose and went over to Miguel.
“I thought you went home,” she whispered, although her dad seemed oblivious.
“I did. I had to move some cows. But I decided to come back and check on you guys. How’s it going?” He tipped his head toward her dad. “How’s he doing?”
“He’s a hot mess. I honestly don’t know what I’ll do with him if Mom has to spend the night here. I’m not sure I can get him to go home with me. He doesn’t seem to trust me. I’m not sure he even knows who I am.”
“Do you think they’ll keep your mom overnight?”
“The doctor told me it’s a possibility.” She stepped outside of the doorway. “She said it’s not only the concussion. Mom has extremely high blood pressure. 224 over 119.”
“Yikes. That’s super high. My mom has high blood pressure too, but it’s never been that high.”
“Poor Mom.” She peeked back at Dad, but he was still staring at the carpet.
“How’s your mom’s head? Did they read her CAT scans yet?”
“Yes. They didn’t see any internal bleeding. So that’s good.” Jewel noticed a woman coming their way.
The woman smiled, showed them a hospital badge, and introduced herself. “I’m Marge Stewart, a guest volunteer. I was told you might need some help with Mr. McKerry.”
“Help?” Jewel studied the gray-haired woman.
“My husband had Alzheimer’s.” Marge’s eyes were kind, but her smile reflected sadness. “I know how difficult it can be in a situation like this. I’m happy to sit with him awhile, if you two want to go get a coffee or just have a break.”
Jewel brightened. “That’d be nice.”
Marge peeked into the room. “He seems upset,” she said quietly.Then without another word, the older woman went in and sat by him, but not too close. She spoke slowly and gently, and after a bit, he looked up. Marge continued to chat with him, almost as if he was an old friend. She waved them away and, grateful for even a brief escape, Jewel took it.
“Do you know where I can find a cup of coffee?” she asked Miguel.
“I do.” He pointed down a hallway. “Right this way.” As they walked, he explained that his dad had been in this hospital for a couple of weeks. “So I got to know the place pretty well.”
“How is he now?” she asked, mostly to be polite.
“He passed away.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She glanced at Miguel.
“It was several years ago. I’d just gotten home from the service.” He indicated a turn ahead.
“Oh? What branch of military?”
“Air Force. I’d just retired and almost signed up for more, but I’m glad I didn’t now. It was good to be around for my mom’s sake. She was pretty lost without him. And it was time for me to be home for my wife and child too.”
She peered curiously at him, trying to guess his age. “How long were you in the Air Force?”
“Nearly twenty years.” He pointed to a cafeteria sign. “There she blows.”
“Thanks.” She stopped by the entrance to the cafeteria. “Care to join me for a coffee?”
“Sure. But I’ll warn you, it’s not exactly Starbucks.”
She smiled. “That’s okay. I was never a Starbucks girl anyway.” As they went inside, she did some mental math. Twenty years in the Air Force plus eight at home, would make him at least forty-six. A few years older than her. But why did it matter? Sure, he was handsome and, according to her mom—not her Dad—Miguel was a good guy. But a guy with a wife and child. After they got their coffees and sat down, he asked her how long she planned to stay in Oregon.
“The plan was to stay indefinitely,” she admitted. “But to be honest, I’m getting a little worried now.”
“Afraid it’s going to be too much?” His brow creased as he stirred cream into his coffee. “Your dad’s memory issues and now your mom’s troubles? Feeling overwhelmed?”
