Page 2 of Lucky Bounce: Game On: Part Two

His cellphone rang, interrupting the moment, and the system changed the call to hands-free mode. He frowned when he saw the number on the screen. It was Jessie, his mother's nighttime nurse.

"Sorry," he told Holly, backing out of the parking spot. "I have to take this."

"Sure."

Eli pressed the button on the screen to answer the call. "Hey, Jessie," he said, navigating his way through the garage. "What's going on?"

"Hello, Mr. Donnelley. I hope I'm not disturbing you." Her voice sounded strained, which was never a good sign.

"No. I'm in the car, though.” He made a right as he exited the building. "I was planning on coming over to see Mom tonight."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. It might be better if you didn't come over. She's having a pretty bad night. I'm worried a visit might make her more agitated. Sometimes after you leave, her agitation gets worse."

A rush of anxiety zinged through him, making his chest tight and his hands clammy. Unfortunately, as of late, his mother's Alzheimer's had started progressing rapidly after years of being lucky, the right medications, and a few clinical trials. It scared the hell out of him, and he was more stressed than ever.

"What's going on with her, Jessie?"

"She's very focused on her ex-husband. She's worried because she doesn't know where he is. I'm also struggling to get her to take her medication. It's been a challenging night."

Eli stifled a groan. His stepfather, Ethan Donnelley, hadn't lived with his mother for seven years. He'd bailed on them when she'd first been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, like the coward he’d always been.

He pulled up to a red light. "Are you sure I shouldn't come over? Maybe Mom would feel better if she saw me."

"It's up to you, but I'd really like to get her settled in for the night if possible."

"No, I get it. I just want to do what's best for her."

"I know you do. And we must sit down and have a conversation about what is best for your mother regarding her care. Sooner rather than later. I know we've talked about this recently, but—"

"Yeah, I know." He sucked in a breath. "Can we revisit this after the playoffs? I've got a lot on my plate with hockey."

"Yes, of course," Jessie replied, raising her voice as his mother screamed for his stepfather in the background. "That's reasonable."

A slight headache began to thump at his temples. "Let me know if you need anything. I'm going to try to visit tomorrow."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Mr. Donnelley. Take care and have a good night."

The call disconnected, and he let out a heavy sigh. Things with his mother bordered on unmanageable now, growing more difficult by the day as her disease progressed.

He had a feeling thatdifficultwas going to be the order of the day from here on out.

Holly glanced over at him, a sympathetic look on her face. "Sounds like things are pretty rough with your mom."

"Yeah. It's been like that the last little while, actually. She's getting worse."

"I'm so sorry," she murmured. "I can't imagine how hard that must be for you."

"I'm trying not to focus on it too much. I need to concentrate on getting through the playoffs. If I start thinking about it, I can't stop. I just take it day by day."

"You should talk to someone about this, Eli."

He forced a smile, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel. "I am. I'm talking to you."

"I meant your friends. Your teammates. A professional."

"Not my style." He hit a button on the screen. "Mind some music?" He wasn't in the mood to discuss his mother or her illness any longer.

"No. We're almost at my place anyway."

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