“We expect a full recovery.Not to understate the severity of her injuries.She requires more time before she can be referred for physical therapy.And her brain swelling and memory loss need to be monitored.”
“What can we do?”Alec looked at the doctor hopefully.
Cujo echoed the sentiment.There were so many unanswered questions.“Can we help her remember?”
“Eventually, yes.It’s a bit too soon to bombard her with visits and memories.You can talk to her.Show her photographs.Play her favorite music.Bring her favorite flowers.But don’t push her.Memory recovery is difficult on the patient.There is every risk, given the severity of the assault, that her brain may try to shield her from the memory of the attack.”
Cujo rubbed his hands up and down his face.Old feelings of abandonment outweighed his feelings of compassion.Did he even want to spend time with this woman?Would she want them there?
His dad might have a couple of Polaroids floating around somewhere in the house.When Evelyn had left, the family photos that hung in the hall had quickly disappeared, leaving squares of unfaded paint on the wall.When it came to the rest of his mom’s preferences, he was as clueless as she was right now.
He was a total shit.He didn’t want to help her.She’d abandoned them for twenty-five years.What would happen when she remembered?Should they pretend to be a happy family until she recovered?
“We’re going to have a problem.”It was more of a thought, but he realized he’d said it out loud.
“What’s that?”asked Lopes.
“We haven’t seen my mom in twenty-five years.”
Doctor Jaffrey looked a little shocked.Detective Lopes didn’t flinch.
“Pardon?”said Jaffrey.
“My mom abandoned us twenty-five years ago.”
“Do you know where she lives now?What she does?Any other next of kin?Friends?”Lopes pulled out his notepad, started scribbling.
“We haven’t seen or heard from her once.”Cujo said, rocking from his toes to his heels and back again.Someone had hurt his mom, and as much as she had hurt him, he still wanted to kick the shit out of something.
His dad gripped his forearm.
“Can we see Evelyn, please?”
“I see no harm in it,” said Doctor Jaffrey looking toward Lopes, “if everyone agrees to stay focused on what’s best for Evelyn’s recovery.”
They followed the doctor to her room.
His dad walked to the side of the bed.“Evelyn.I’m so pleased you’re safe.”He slid the plastic visitor chair next to the bed and sat.
But Cujo couldn’t bring himself to look at her yet.
He was eight.And she was slamming the door.He felt Devon leave his side, walk toward the bed.Could hear their mumbled words of greeting.Awkward.Stilted.
He looked at her then.A pair of electric blue eyes that matched his own regarded him carefully.And in that moment he understood her.Because she didn’t want to be surrounded by a roomful of strangers, anymore than he wanted to be there.
***
Drea stood outside the cake shop leaning against the turquoise wall, eyes closed to the sun.She looked like a modern-day Roman goddess in her pretty white sundress and gold bangles.
“Morning, Shortcake.Remind me why we are here,” Cujo said as he walked toward her, eying the store with suspicion.Had it only been two nights since he fucked everything up with her?Or twenty-four hours since he’d been reunited with his mom?
She opened her eyes, looked at him indifferently.Shit.
“José’s friend just opened this patisserie.I know it’s overkill, but she’s doing us a huge favor on the price and she really wanted us to come try them.”Drea paused, studying his face closely.“But you don’t have to do this today if you don’t want to.”
Drea gripped his arm, the feel of her skin against his as frustrating as it was soothing.He hadn’t told anyone about his mom’s return, but somehow she knew things weren’t right.
Two hours at the gym hadn’t quelled the confusion swelling like a tsunami, coming from nowhere and crashing over him with enough force to pull him under.His mom was back, yet he was no wiser as to why she’d left.The person he wanted to yell at, to let see his life turned out just fine without her, didn’t remember abandoning him.He felt more powerless now than he did when she was gone.
