Page 51 of Find Me in California

“What are you doing here?” Mama Rose grips the wheelchair arms as if she’s about to launch from the chair.

Julia glances between the two women, wondering what Liza said to her. “I came to see you. How was your day?”

Mama Rose’s withered hands jerk at the wheels. She grunts, trying to push herself forward while nervously glancing from Julia to Liza and back. “Unlock them,” Mama Rose complains of the brakes when the chair doesn’t budge.

“Ruby,” Liza says.

Julia crouches beside Mama Rose since all the chairs are taken. “I brought your favorite chocolates.” She shows her grandmother the foil bag. “Do you want one? Liza?” She tilts the bag toward Matt’s grandmother.

“Not from you.” Mama Rose spits on the floor, and Julia rocks back on her heels.

“Mama!”

“Never from you.” She backhands the bag out of Julia’s hand. Chocolates scatter across the floor.

“Mama Rose.” Julia’s hand smarts where her grandmother hit her. Ever watching out for others and never herself, Julia retrieves the pieces around Mama Rose’s chair before someone trips on them, putting her head within her grandmother’s reach.

Mama Rose grabs a fistful of Julia’s hair and yanks. Julia shrieks at the sharp, unexpected pain. Mama Rose bellows, “You undeserving, spoiled brat.” Then she screams, pulling again at Julia’s hair.

The entire room goes quiet for one heartbeat, and then all hell breaks loose.

Chips tumble and cards fly across tables as residents rush over to see what’s happening. Chairs scrape across the floor in people’s haste to get closer.

“You can’t have her, Lea! You no-good piece of trash. She’s mine. Mine!” With Julia’s hair fisted in her hand, Mama Rose yanks Julia’s head side to side. Julia stumbles left to right on her knees, holding on to her hair so it isn’t torn from her scalp. Her eyes burn from the pain. She tries to loosen her grandmother’s grip, but Mama Rose is strong, fueled by a rage Julia has witnessed only twice before: when she attacked Nolan with her cane and the day Lea abandoned Julia.

Julia fears Mama Rose is reliving that day.

“It’s me, Mama. It’s Julia.” She manages to get to her feet.

Rosemont staff rush toward them. Liza rises from her chair, backing out of the way.

Trevor and two other caretakers surround Mama Rose. They try coaxing her down, holding her arms, but she won’t release her grip on Julia’s hair.

“Julia is mine,” Mama Rose shrieks. “You can’t have her back. You’ll never get her back.”

“What is she going off about?” Alice, the night-shift nurse, asks.

“She thinks I’m my mother,” Julia explains over Mama Rose’s screeching.

“I’ve never seen her like this. Get the benz,” Trevor orders Alice. “I’ll try to get her back to her room.”

The common room is in chaos. Residents who can walk on their own hurry away. Those needing assistance cry out for it. The curious crowd them.

“Back off, everyone. Return to your games,” Trevor orders.

“Calm down, Rose,” Liza yells, and Julia wants to yell at her. What did she say to Mama Rose right before Mama Rose noticed Julia?

Mama Rose screams nonsense. She struggles against Trevor as he keeps her firmly planted in the chair. Julia squeezes her grandmother’s wrist, and Mama Rose finally lets go. Julia stumbles back with a cry. Trevor hugs Mama Rose from behind, restraining her in the wheelchair. He talks in her ear, but whatever he’s saying isn’t registering. Then—

Rap, rap, rap.

“Mags.”

Liza bangs her cane on the floor again.

“Calm down this instant, Magnolia.”

Mama Rose stills at Liza’s command just as Alice returns. The nurse injects Mama Rose with the sedative, and they all watch her body go lax.

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