Page 28 of A Breath of Life
“You look like my Boone. He’s fighting in the war, but he’ll be home soon. He promised. Then we’re getting married.”
“You’re a lucky lady.”
“I wonder if that nice priest will marry us.”
“You could ask him.”
She hummed and nodded. “I got your letter, Boone.”
“Did you?”
“Yes, I did. The girls were jealous.”
“I bet.”
Nana reached out and touched my hair. I’d grown it for her sake. “You’re so handsome. I forgot to tell you about Maurice. He’s the new nurse. He had to step out for a while. When do you think you’ll be home, sweetie?”
My eyes burned, and I focused on the metronomic rhythm of the knitting needles. “Might be late tonight,” I choked out, acting the role in whatever play she saw in her mind.
“I understand. You stay safe.”
“I’ll do my best.”
An announcement came over the speaker system in the hallway. Visiting hours were ending. Someone would be around shortly to tell me I had to leave, so I handed Nana back the knitting and folded her fingers around the needles so they sat correctly in her hands. “Can you finish this for me?”
“Oh, yes. I love knitting.”
“I know. Make your grandson something special.”
“He’s a lovely boy. I wish you could meet him.” She puzzled the project and moved the yarn the wrong way, circling the needle three too many times before dropping a stitch.
She didn’t acknowledge me again, too focused on a task that was far beyond her capability. I leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I love you, Nana. Sorry I couldn’t stay long.”
She glanced up, confusion marring her face.
I brushed a hand over her soft curls. “Have a good night.”
“I’ll listen to Maurice, okay?”
I didn’t know who Maurice was or if he was truly a new nurse at the home, but I agreed.
Before I got to the door, Nana’s attention returned to the window, but whatever world she saw beyond the glass had expired decades ago.
Outside, I collapsed on a memorial bench beside a mulched garden path that weaved around the property. Echo nuzzled my hand, encouraging me to pet her. Every inhale ached. My lungs refused to allow proper airflow. My stomach coiled tighter and tighter until I thought I might be sick.
I petted Echo, scratching her ear as I forced myself not to lose control. God, it hurt. Nana’s years were running out. She was far older than she had any right to be. Most people weren’t granted long lives, but hers had extended into her mid-nineties already. She was long overdue for a reunion with Boone. I didn’t want to lose her, but seeing her so lost and absent was a kick to the solar plexus every time I visited.
I lowered my face to Echo’s, bracing my forehead on the top of her furry crown, soaking up her calming essence. She licked the tears that slid silently down my cheeks. I had to get a grip. I couldn’t go home like this. If I was going to deal with a feisty, hotheaded Tallus, I needed to decompress.
I’d shamefully called him a brat, and I hated myself for it. I would go home, apologize, and take him to bed. We were good at fighting, but we were also good at putting arguments behind us and making up once we both cooled off.
“Want to go for a long walk, girl?” I asked.
Echo huffed and licked me again.
“Me too. Then, we’ll go home and make things right with Tallus, okay?”
We walked, weaving along random streets and blending with the busy city. The anonymity suited me. I could disappear in the bustling crowd. Echo remained attentive and alert to my unstable mood, bumping my leg at times and insisting on head scratches. If my mind drifted, she brought me back with a soft woof. Echo had become my anchor, keeping me from drifting away on the tumultuous current of life.
