Earlier Sunday afternoon [narrative]
Claire looked up at the girl standing beside her bed, and wondered how on earth she was still here with her. Why was she still here?
“Okay, Gran, so you want the stuff in the attic left there, you want your mother’s pink rose china set and the silver, and all the pictures…and the other junk can go?” She was writing on a legal pad and clipboard.
“Don’t touch Charles’s room,” Claire said quickly.
“No, I’ll make sure Dad’s room isn’t touched. And anything that looks like something you’ll want to keep. I know what’s important.”
“I’m sorry, Angela love. I didn’t mean to have it be so awful…”
“It’s over now, Grandma,” Angela said, sitting down on the bed and covering her hand with hers, “it’s over, and when Dad comes home we can work something out.”
Her grandmother sighed and coughed. She covered her eyes with her hand and began crying. “It’s all been such a mess…” All the things she’d been talking about with the hospital therapist, all the thinking she’d been doing, becoming sober again, it’s been a very emotional time for her. And she feels so guilty, every time she sees that slight red scar on her temple from when she knocked her into the table…
Angela leaned down and put her arms around Claire. “It’ll be okay again, I promise.” The girl pulled away and her smile was so like her father’s that Claire had to smile back. “You just rest and let me take care of things. If I need help, I’ll ask. By the time you get out of the hospital, everything is going to be all right.”
Claire sighed and just looked at her granddaughter. “You’re a good girl,” she murmured.
Angela smiled again. “I want you to feel better and I want that house to be a healthy place for you to come home to.” She gets up. “But I don’t want you to worry about that. Just get some rest. I’ll call tomorrow-it’s going to be really busy.”
“Don’t work yourself too hard, Angela love. I don’t want you to tire yourself out.”
“Don’t worry, Gran. I’ll be fine.”
After Angela left, Claire curled up on her side under the covers and closed her eyes. She felt terribly, horribly lost.
“Okay, Gran, so you want the stuff in the attic left there, you want your mother’s pink rose china set and the silver, and all the pictures…and the other junk can go?” She was writing on a legal pad and clipboard.
“Don’t touch Charles’s room,” Claire said quickly.
“No, I’ll make sure Dad’s room isn’t touched. And anything that looks like something you’ll want to keep. I know what’s important.”
“I’m sorry, Angela love. I didn’t mean to have it be so awful…”
“It’s over now, Grandma,” Angela said, sitting down on the bed and covering her hand with hers, “it’s over, and when Dad comes home we can work something out.”
Her grandmother sighed and coughed. She covered her eyes with her hand and began crying. “It’s all been such a mess…” All the things she’d been talking about with the hospital therapist, all the thinking she’d been doing, becoming sober again, it’s been a very emotional time for her. And she feels so guilty, every time she sees that slight red scar on her temple from when she knocked her into the table…
Angela leaned down and put her arms around Claire. “It’ll be okay again, I promise.” The girl pulled away and her smile was so like her father’s that Claire had to smile back. “You just rest and let me take care of things. If I need help, I’ll ask. By the time you get out of the hospital, everything is going to be all right.”
Claire sighed and just looked at her granddaughter. “You’re a good girl,” she murmured.
Angela smiled again. “I want you to feel better and I want that house to be a healthy place for you to come home to.” She gets up. “But I don’t want you to worry about that. Just get some rest. I’ll call tomorrow-it’s going to be really busy.”
“Don’t work yourself too hard, Angela love. I don’t want you to tire yourself out.”
“Don’t worry, Gran. I’ll be fine.”
After Angela left, Claire curled up on her side under the covers and closed her eyes. She felt terribly, horribly lost.