Page 87 of Unexpected Trouble

“Liz, you love pancakes,” Maggie told her. “We have them every weekend.”

“Who are you? Do I know you? I don’t think I have ever seen you before. I want to go to my room.”

Maggie closed her eyes and then walked into her mother’s room. A moment later, she returned with a picture in her hand. “Liz, here is a photograph for you. This might make you feel better.”

Liz took the picture and stared at it for a long time, her eyes constantly moving as they shifted over every pixel of the image. “Who is this man?”

“That is your husband, Robert, and my father.”

“I’m not married.”

“You were married, Liz.”

“I don’t remember him. Why don’t I remember him?”

“Because you have Alzheimer’s, Liz. You forget some days and get confused on others, but this picture always reminds you that you are with family.”

She lifted her eyes to me. “Are you part of the family?”

Maggie glanced my way and then smiled. “Yes, Liz. Greg is part of the family.”

I drew closer to them and put my arm around Maggie. “You might be confused, Liz, but you’re safe.”

She nodded slowly as she dropped her gaze back to the picture and then looked at Maggie. “You said that I like pancakes?”

“Yes, you sure do.”

“Okay, then I’ll have some pancakes.”

Chapter Thirty

Maggie

It had been a long time since my mother called me Maggie Sue, and tears crowded my eyes. At that moment, my mother was one hundred percent with me. Her words, the look in her eye, the feel of her hand on mine meant so much.

I threw my arms around her as tears began to fill my eyes. “I love you so much, Mom.”

“I love you too, dear. I wish life were easier for you. I’m sorry for making it so hard.”

I clung to her harder. “No, you don’t. I would do anything for you.”

My mother pulled back. “Would you really do anything for me?”

“Yes, of course!”

She collected my hands and held them between us. “Then Maggie, it’s time for me to move into the facility. I know that my lucid times are few and far between. Even I can tell that I have huge gaps missing from my life. It’s not fair for me to ask you to continue to put your life on hold. You deserve to have more, do more, be more.”

“Mom, how can I do that when I can take care of you?”

“Because I’m telling you that it’s okay, sweetheart. I love you so much for everything that you have done for me, but it’s time for you to return to your life.” She glanced at the door. “To build a life with him.”

“I’m not sure he wants one.”

“He does but be patient. You are both hardheaded, but you’ll get there.”

My mother had gone inside a few minutes later, and I decided to walk down to the dock. Could I put my mother into the nursing home? Hadn’t I just two days before been planning on doing that if I took the job? Yes, but would Greg be able to deal with me working with him?

It might come to a toss-up between the two of them: the job versus the man. In a perfect world, I wouldn’t have to choose.

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