I don’t want her to leave. At the same time, I’d understand if she did.
“She told me.”
She’s wearing sunglasses, but I still feel her eyes as they whip toward me. “She did?”
“When she was first diagnosed, she wrote me a note. I keep it behind the photo I have of her and me on my wedding day.”
“What did it say?” she whispers.
I recite it from memory. “You come first. Always. Never allow my illness to take away from your own life.”
“She sounds like she’s a good mom.”
“The best,” I agree.
“Have you spoken to her since the visit?”
I shake my head.
“Have you called her?”
I shake my head again. “Have you thought about calling your mom?”
She shakes her head, too.
“What if we call them right now?” I suggest.
“Like…together?”
“Sure. Why not? We don’t have to be involved with the other’s call. Just to be here for each other. For moral support or whatever.”
“Moral support,” she repeats, murmuring. She nods. “Okay. Let’s do it. You first.”
I blow out a breath. We’re both dreading these calls for our own reasons, but I’ll go first if it means she’ll go eventually. She needs to talk to her mother. That much I know. Whether they get along or not, or however close they are, I can tell that she needs this. But she also needs someone to push her into actually making the call.
Maybe I’m getting to know her better than I realized.
I dial the number to the nurse’s station at my mom’s care facility.
“Floor unit, this is Susan,” the nurse who cares for my mother answers.
“Hi Susan. This is Maverick Jennings. How’s my mother today?”
“She’s in good spirits today. Would you like to talk to her?” she asks.
“Yes.”
“I’ll put you through. One minute.” She puts the call on hold, and a minute later, I hear my mom’s voice.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Mom. It’s Maverick.”
“Maverick! Hi! How are you?”
“I’m good, Mom,” I say, and I feel myself getting choked up at hownormalshe sounds today. She’s not accusing me ofbeing someone else, not angry with me, not confrontational. “How are you?”
“Oh, you know. Busy watching my shows, that’s all. When are you going to come visit me?”
