Amy tried to redirect him, but he pushed past her, surprisingly strong in his confusion. He grabbed Serena's phone, threw it against the wall.
“Pop!” Dani gasped.
“Get out!” Pop shouted at Serena. “This is our home! Elizabeth's home!”
Serena fled, and Kate couldn't blame her. Pop stood in the lobby, breathing hard, his face red with exertion and anger.
“Pop,” Kate said gently. “Mom's not here.”
He turned to her, and the anger drained away, replaced by confusion and then grief. “She's not?”
“No, Pop. She's been gone a long time.”
“But I can smell her perfume. Roses. She always smelled like roses.”
Kate's throat tightened. The restored chairs did smell faintly of roses, from the new upholstery fabric Ben had chosen to match the original.
“I know, Pop. I smell it too.”
He let Amy lead him away then, all the fight gone out of him. Kate stood in the lobby, looking at the chairs that had caused such upheaval. Beautiful and restored, but still capable of triggering Pop's confused grief.
“I should go apologize to Serena,” Dani said.
“Let her go. This isn't a destination property. It's Pop's home. Our home.”
“For how much longer? Katie, he's getting worse.”
Kate knew Dani was right. The confused wandering, the anger, the moments of complete disconnection were increasing.Amy was wonderful, but she was one person. Soon Pop would need more care than even she could provide.
Ben appeared in the doorway. “Heard shouting. Everything okay?”
“Pop had an episode,” Kate said tiredly.
“The woman with the phone ran past me looking terrified.”
“Dani's hospitality consultant. Pop didn't appreciate her suggestions.”
Ben's mouth quirked slightly. “Good for Pop.”
Dani made an exasperated sound and left. Kate stood with Ben in the lobby, suddenly aware of her appearance... the ratty robe, her hair in Dani's braid, her face bare and probably blotchy from the cold morning on the ice.
“You went fishing,” he said. It wasn't a question.
“Needed to think.”
“Did it help?”
“No.”
He stepped closer, “You look...”
“Terrible. I know.”
“I was going to say real.” He touched the braid gently. “This is new.”
“Dani did it.”
“It's pretty.”
