Page 42 of Redeeming Melodies

For once, I knew I wouldn't let him down.

"Ready for an adventure, champ?"

His answering smile was everything I'd been fighting for. "Ready!"

Time to show my son what real joy felt like. And maybe find some peace for ourselves along the way.

Next stop: Oakwood Grove.

UNEXPECTED QUESTIONS

Pine Grove Care Center looked exactly like it had last week, and the week before that - all muted beige walls and carefully cultivated cheerfulness. The antiseptic smell never quite masked the underlying scent of age and endings, though they tried with lavender diffusers and fresh flowers at every nurse's station.

"Morning, Jake.” Nancy, the morning nurse, touched my arm gently. "It's been a rough few days. She's pretty confused today."

The warning felt like a physical blow, but I nodded. "Thanks for letting me know."

Room 214 hadn't changed since my last visit. Same pale yellow walls, same landscape prints Mom would have hated in her old life, same worn armchair where I watched her slip further away each week.

She stared out the window when I entered, her hands folded neatly in her lap. The woman who'd raised me, who'd fought for me through every scrape and stupid decision, looked so small in her hospital gown.

"Morning, Mom." I kept my voice soft, approaching slowly like I'd learned to do.

She turned, her eyes vacant but polite. "Are you the doctor?"

"No, Mom. It's Jake. Your son." The words scraped my throat raw.

"Oh." She smiled vaguely. "That's nice. I have a son named Jake. He's the sheriff, you know."

My chest clenched. "Yeah, I know."

I settled into the chair beside her bed anyway, taking her fragile hand. She allowed it with the passive acceptance of someone used to strangers touching her.

"Beautiful morning," she said to the window. "Is it time for breakfast?"

"Just had breakfast, Mom. Nancy says you ate well today."

She nodded absently, then turned to me with sudden concern. "Have you seen my little boy? He should be home from school soon."

The Jake she remembered was still a child. Still needed protecting. "He's okay, Mom. He's all grown up now. Doing good things."

"That's nice." Her attention drifted again. "Are you staying for dinner?"

I started talking then, filling the quiet room with stories about the town, about my life, about everything and nothing. She didn't respond much, just smiled politely at this stranger telling her about Oakwood Grove.

"There's this new guy in town," I found myself saying, maybe because it was easier to admit things to someone who wouldn't remember them. "Elliot. He's... different. Makes me feel different, which is kind of terrifying."

Mom picked at her blanket, humming tunelessly.

"He's got these green eyes that see right through bullshit, and this way of challenging everything I thought I knew about myself." The words spilled out, secrets I couldn't voice anywhere else. "And I don't know what to do with that."

"My Jake likes green," she said suddenly. "It's his favorite color."

My heart stuttered. "Yeah, Mom. It still is."

"He's such a good boy." Her voice wavered. "Have you seen him? He should be home soon."

I swallowed hard. "He's okay, Mom. He's safe."

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