Page 77 of The Sisters
‘You broke them yesterday. Violetta said so. She said you were angry about something that happened at work and had to come home.’
Grace paused, and then small fragments of memory of the day before came back to her. She remembered Matthew and his announcement and then coming home with Violetta. She drank the vodka as fast as she could while she was out, then it got hazy after that. There was throwing. And Violetta and Jeff? No, that couldn’t be right she thought.
‘Why did Violetta ask you to come to be with me? Where is she?’ asked Grace, embarrassed that Thea had to babysit a twenty-five year old woman.
Thea walked over and took Grace’s hands. ‘There’s more,’ she said uncertainly.
Grace felt herself become faint. She sat on one of the kitchen stools for support.
‘What?’ she asked.
‘It’s your mom,’ said Thea. ‘She’s awake.’
*
Grace stood outside the door of Birdie’s hospital room, waiting to be allowed in. The doctors were with her, said Spencer, and Violetta was down the hall on her phone.
‘Will she know who I am?’ asked Grace to Spencer.
‘Yes, she will,’ said Spencer gently. ‘She woke up asking for you,’ he added.
Grace rubbed her head, which was thumping from adrenalin and hangover. Why wasn’t she there, she admonished herself. Instead she was blind drunk, rampaging through her apartment, breaking everything in sight. Even a quick scan of her lounge as she was leaving her apartment in a hurry had told her enough about her behaviour.
And Frank hadn’t called. She probably wouldn’t see him again, she thought, and the sadness of everything that had happened threatened to overtake her. She was saved by Jeff coming out of Birdie’s room.
‘Hello, Grace,’ he said. ‘Are you OK?’ he asked, his face filled with concern.
Grace looked at him. Perhaps he was there after all, watching the debacle of her life unravel.
‘I’m OK,’ she said slowly.
He nodded, not wanting to say any more in front of Spencer. ‘Let me know if you need anything,’ he said, and briefly touched her arm.
Grace nodded; his concern moved her and she thought for a moment what a lovely man he was.
‘How is Mom? Can I see her?’ she asked, wanting to take the conversation away from herself.
‘In a moment. I’m not sure what your sisters have told you,’ he started.
‘What?’ asked Grace, worried.
‘Your mom has suffered a little memory lapse. We don’t know if it’s long term. Unfortunately, only time will tell.’
‘What? What doesn’t she remember?’ asked Grace.
‘She doesn’t remember your father,’ said Spencer quietly.
‘That’s no great loss,’ said Grace bitterly.
‘She thinks that she and I are married and I’m your father,’ Spencer continued.
‘What?’
‘I know.’
‘We have recommended you don’t push this at the moment,’ said Jeff. ‘I want to keep her calm.’
Grace nodded her consent and looked at Spencer, as Jeff was taken away by a nurse to attend another patient.
