Page 157 of A Breath of Life
“Nana?” I sat straighter.
“Hello? Boone? Is that you?”
My heart clenched, and my eyes watered, but I decided to go with it. What else could I do? “Yeah, Nana. It’s Boone. How are you?”
“Oh, I’m doing okay. It’s a lovely day. We’re sitting in the garden. Do you remember Angela? She invited me over for tea. Isn’t that lovely?”
“That sounds nice.” I didn’t know an Angela. She was likely someone Nana knew decades ago.
“When are you coming home, Boone? I haven’t seen you since Thanksgiving. Angela said the war’s over.”
“It is. How about I visit this weekend?”
“That would be wonderful. You can meet your grandson. He’s such a darling. I think he has the Krause genes. Looks like his granddaddy.”
Tears streamed unbidden down my face. “Does he? I’d love that.”
Nana chattered nonsense for a while, and I responded the only way I could to her broken attempts at conversing. After a time, Kitty came back on the line.
“She’s enjoying the sunshine in the courtyard. Since it’s such a nice day, they brought a few residents outside for fresh air.”
“Good. Has she… Does she know… The man who…”
“No, Diem. It’s long gone. She lives in the moment.”
“Did he hurt her?”
“No, sweetie.”
I batted at my eyes and blew out a breath. “I’ve been stuck here with Tallus, and—”
“I know. It’s why I came to visit. Hazel and I go way back.”
“Your knitting club.”
“Yes.”
“Does she remember you?”
“Sometimes. Mostly no. Today, I’m Angela.”
“I don’t know her.”
“An old acquaintance of ours. She’s long gone from this world, but I’ll be her for today.”
I hated dementia. It had stolen the most important woman in my life, and I would never get her back. “Thank you for checking on her.”
“Of course, darling. How’s Tallus?”
“Thinks he’s a war hero and has zero respect for his own mortality.”
She tittered. “Sounds about right. And you?”
I huffed. “I want to put him in a box and never let him out again, but if I do, he’ll run for the hills and never look back. I’m not very good at this love thing, am I?”
“You’re doing better than you think.” I heard a car door slam and wondered if Kitty had driven herself to the nursing home. She was far more capable than Tallus gave her credit for. “I have news that might please you. You sound like you need cheering up.”
“Unless you tell me this Ace guy has been arrested, I doubt you succeed.”
