Page 116 of Indiscretion

“You’re going to visit Mom!”

Ryder stood, intentionally bumping his sister when he got up. I didn’t have a sister close in age, but I imagined if I did, my relationship would be similar. He grabbed the cards I’d brought from the table. “Can I take these? I taught myself some card tricks to show Mom. But I forgot mine.” He nodded toward his sister. “Because this butthead was rushing me out the door.”

I nodded. “Go for it.”

A half hour later, Ryder and Naomi returned. Ryder was smiling and laughing. It seemed the medicine these two needed was their mother.

“How was your visit?” I asked.

Ryder shrugged, playing it cool. “Fine.”

Naomi smiled. “Frannie asked if you would mind visiting, too?”

“Me?”

She nodded.

“Uh. Sure.” A sinking feeling settled into my stomach. Had she somehow found out what I’d done?

“You’ll have to suit up because of germs. They’ll give you a gown, booties, and a mask and stuff to wear.” Naomi smiled again. “You’ll love it. It’s a germaphobe’s dream outfit.”

I laughed and stood. “What floor?”

“Eight. Stop at the nurses’ station as soon as you get off the elevator, and they’ll give you everything you need and show you to the room. Oh, and Frannie is Francesca Mason. Mason is her married name.”

“Got it.”

My nerves were at war with my curiosity as I rode the elevator up to the eighth floor. As Naomi had said, the nurses at the station gave me everything I needed and pointed me to room 810. I entered, suited up like a doctor about to go into surgery rather than a visitor, and held up my gloved hands. “I’m here for the one o’clock lobotomy.”

“Hey, Dawson.” Frannie had on a mask, but I could see by the way her eyes crinkled that she was smiling. “Thanks for coming.”

“Of course. It’s good to see you. You look great.”

“Thank you for lying.”

An awkward silence fell between us. I think I was waiting for the reason I’d been summoned, but maybe she just wanted another visitor? She’d been here for almost three weeks, after all. I started to say something at the same time she did.

I smiled and held out a hand. “Sorry. After you.”

Frannie sighed. “How is my sister doing?”

“She’s doing great. Couldn’t you tell by the all-blue outfit today? It brings peace, calmness, and stability.”

She smiled. “You’ve been well trained, I see.”

“I have. But seriously, she’s managing everything like a boss. I’m not going to lie and say she doesn’t worry about you, because she definitely does. But today went a long way.”

She sighed. “I don’t want you to have to lie to her. So when she asks you what I wanted—because shewillask you. She’s a born lawyer, always has questions—you can tell her I asked how she was holding up.”

“That sounds like you’re telling me what I should say, but there are things you don’t want me to say.”

There was sadness in her eyes. “Years ago, when my kids were born, I made a medical proxy and elected my sister to make all medical decisions in the event that I was unable to make them myself.”

“I notarized a new one for you before you were admitted.”

Frannie nodded. “I changed my proxy to my sister-in-law.”

“Oh.” I paused. “Does Naomi know?”

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