Page 27 of Family Bonds: Carter & Avery

“No,” she said. “I understand. Maybe one of the aides can stay overnight?”

“No,” her mother said. “It’s someone new all the time from the county. I’m grateful for it. But I’m thinking of finding someone else who can do it more on the side. A friend of mine knows a young nurse’s aide trying to earn some money. She can do nights and weekends right now as she works in a doctor’s office during the day.”

“That sounds like a good option,” she said.

“I’ll let you know how it works out. I don’t want Grandma to think I don’t want to care for her. It’s not that. But I know she’s frustrated and upset over the way things are.”

Her grandmother communicated as best as she could, often typing or trying to write things down. She couldn’t be understood when she talked after her last stroke.

“Grandma understands and doesn’t like to be a burden,” she said. Her grandmother had told her that more than once when Avery was helping out so her mother could get out of the house.

“I know,” her mother said. “But life is full of burdens. Full of joy too. It’s getting a good mix. I’m not ready to let her go into a home.”

“There are day homes, Mom,” she said. “You know that.”

“I do. Not ready for that option either. She’s comfortable here and that is the most important thing. I know she doesn’t have a lot of years left. It’s my place to make sure she is happy for those she has.”

“I’m proud you’re my mother,” Avery said.

A few minutes later she hung up with her mother and looked at Josie already drawing another picture. She’d bet that was for her mother.

Her mother was right. Life was full of burdens and joys and she was looking at the joyful part of it now while the puppy slept and Josie was lost in her world of sketching.

9

The Best There Is

“Oh my God,” Roseann said. “Look at how big Doc has gotten.”

Carter looked down at his shy of five-month-old puppy. “I know,” he said. “Hard to believe she’s still a baby.”

He remembered when he brought Doc home three months ago at eight weeks old...weighing over thirty pounds.

“A baby that weighs more than most elementary school girls,” Roseann said. “I can’t wait to see what the weight is.”

“Hopefully she stays on the scale,” he said. Doc wasn’t the most disciplined when she was nervous, and almost immediately, his puppy remembered this was where she got her shots.

“Kendall has a way with the dogs. She’ll be right out,” Roseann said. “Thanks for filling out the paperwork and emailing it back to Melody. You’re already in the software and you’ll be seeing Dr. Keegan today.”

“Oh,” he said. He was thrilled but didn’t know what was going on.

“Yes,” Roseann said. “Dr. Mullins doesn’t know how to use the software and doesn’t want to learn. So those that are set up will see Dr. Keegan. She’s in with another patient if you don’t mind waiting.”

“No problem,” he said. He took whatever appointments he could for his dogs and left to deal with it while other people held down the fort at work.

He went to take a seat.

“Is that Doc?”

He turned his head to see Josie standing there with her iPad in her hand. “Yes,” he said.

“She’s huge,” Josie said. “I thought she’d be a tiny thing like Betty.”

Carter grinned. He hadn’t heard anything about that but was thrilled to know it worked out. “Doc is a much bigger dog than Betty will be.”

“Can I take some pictures of Doc?” Josie asked politely.

“You can,” he said.

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