She didn’t answer. Instead she sat in a recliner on the opposite side of the room from the one he’d previously occupied and picked up a ball of yarn from a basket on the floor. Alex lowered himself into his recliner and watched, curious to see what she would do.
Carefully, she unraveled the yarn until a pile of pale blue wool covered her lap and spilled onto the floor. Then just as carefully, she began rolling the yarn into a tight ball once more. Before the sun came up around seven a.m., she had unrolled and rolled the yarn four times.
Paul came downstairs around seven-thirty, looking more rested then he had the previous evening. “How did it go last night?”
“She didn’t sleep much.” Alex told him how she’d slipped out of the house. “You might have to get some sort of alarm system to warn you when she leaves. Or you might have to get some overnight help. But eventually, you’re going to have to consider long-term care.”
Paul turned away, watching as Dora unraveled the ball of wool once more. His throat worked. “I’d like to look after her as long as I can.”
“I understand. I want you to call the neurologist in Bangor on Monday and take the first available appointment. Once we get a diagnosis and we know what we’re dealing with, I’ll get you in touch with the hospital social worker, and we’ll see what arrangements we can make for Dora so she can stay at home as long as possible and still be safe.”
Paul clasped his hand. “Thank you for understanding, Alex. Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome. Talk to Julia today. Tell her what’s going on. She needs to know.”
“I will. I promise.”
Alex headed for the door, anxious to get to his bed. He was exhausted, but he had to be at the ER by three, so he wouldn’t have the luxury of a long sleep. He had no doubt he’d be asleep before his head hit the pillow.
But he was surprised to find himself awake and staring at the ceiling an hour later. He couldn’t stop thinking about Julia. How would she react to this news about her mother?
****
Her dad sounded tired when he called the morning after the fundraiser for Edie and Aaron. Something else in his voice, apprehension maybe, worry perhaps, set alarm bells ringing in her head.
“What’s going on, Dad? Are you okay? Is Mom okay?”
He let out a long sigh before speaking. “Actually, I want to talk to you about your mother. There’s something you need to know.”
He told her about her mother’s slow decline over the months, even years, and how he’d been in denial. She was shocked to learn what had really happened the day Ava broke her arm.
“She was wandering again last night. Alex Campbell brought her home and stayed with her all night so I could sleep. It was the first good sleep I’ve had in a very long time.”
Alex. How like him to do something so selfless. She wanted to cry at the loss of everything that might have been between them.
“So what happens now?”
“On Monday morning, I’m going to make an appointment for your mother with the neurologist in Bangor. I guess he’ll confirm what we already suspect, that your mother has Alzheimer’s.”
“I want to come with you,” Julia said. School was starting again next week, but she’d take the day off. This was too important.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
“In the meantime, you need to sleep. Maybe the social worker has some ideas about what we can do to help with Mom’s wandering. I can stay overnight with you for a while, at least until school starts.”
“What about Ava?”
“We can either put her to bed at your house, or she can stay with the Stewarts.”
“Alex mentioned hiring someone to look after her at night, or perhaps installing an alarm.”
Her mind whirled with the perils of what lay ahead. The mother she knew and loved was drifting away. She wondered if Dora realized what was happening to her. Or had she already passed that point?
She wanted to weep at the injustice, to rail against the disease. But that wasn’t what her father needed her to do right now.
“I’ll be over tonight, Dad. See you then.”
“All right, honey. I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t want to believe it was true, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” She put a hand over her mouth, holding back a sob. “I love you too, Dad. Bye.”
Her tears began to fall in earnest as soon as she put the phone back on its cradle. In that moment, she desperately wished she could go to Alex. He’d know what to do, and what to say, to take away some of the pain. She could take comfort in his strong arms.
But she wasn’t with him. He was leaving soon, and she couldn’t lean on him.
First Russ, then Alex, and now her mother. Would everyone she cared for leave her?
Chapter Sixteen
Julia leaned back in her office chair and stretched her arms above her head in an effort to work out the kinks. Two weeks had passed since her father had told her the truth about her mother’s condition, and the fall school term had begun. The previous week she’d driven her parents into Bangor for her mother’s appointment with the neurologist Dr. Willson had recommended. He’d confirmed what everyone suspected: Dora was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Her disease had already passed the mild cognitive impairment stage and was entering a more serious phase.
It had been a hectic and exhausting couple of weeks. In addition to doing her work at the school during the day, she’d spent every night at her parents’ house, watching over her mother and making sure she didn’t leave the house, since they hadn’t yet found someone to stay overnight with her parents.
In the interim, she was coping. By doing some research on the Internet she’d discovered ways to keep her mother safe. She had new locks installed on both the front and back doors of her parents’ house. These old-fashioned sliding locks were placed at the top of the door where her mother couldn’t easily reach them. Julia also placed bells on the doors that chimed whenever they were opened, alerting her or her father that Dora had escaped. She and her father also began doing simple things that seemed to make a difference. They made sure to take Dora for a walk each evening, which helped her to sleep. They also limited her intake of fluids before bedtime and made sure she went to the bathroom before they put her to bed. Julia had read that sometimes an Alzheimer’s patient might wake during the night and simply be looking for a bathroom. In their confusion, they could open an outside door and be locked out of the house.
Pulling double duty meant she didn’t get a lot of sleep, and she didn’t spend a lot of time with Ava, either. Lily had stepped in to help, and Ava had stayed with the Stewarts several times, both overnight and during the day. Julia wasn’t sure what she would have done without them.
Her father had made arrangements for a new alarm system to be installed in the house. Dora would be fitted with a bracelet that automatically locked the doors when she came near them. That way she couldn’t leave the house unescorted. The idea of the new alarm system was a relief to Julia. It meant she and Ava would soon be able to sleep in their own beds, and hopefully she could get a full night’s sleep again. But the alarm company wouldn’t be able to install the system for another week or two, so until then, she’d cope as well as she could.
The new alarm system would allow her father to look after her mother at home a little longer, but they all knew she’d eventually need more care than he could give her.
Julia glanced out the window of her office as she rotated her stiff shoulder and massaged the back of her neck. How she wished she could go for a run. It was a glorious fall day, sunny, bright, and warm, perfect for being outside. But she knew the only outdoor exercise she’d have time for would be her evening walk with her parents.
The phone rang, jolting her back to the present. “Julia Stewart speaking.”
“Hi Julia. Rob Perkins here. How are you?”
“I was fine, but now I’m not so sure. I have a feeling you h
ave bad news for me.”
She heard him sigh. “I’m afraid I do. I just learned that Ralph Sykes has convinced the school board to call a public meeting about the daycare. He’s hoping the public will bring pressure on the board to cancel the program.”
Julia bowed her head. This was the last thing she needed. “When’s the meeting?”
“At the end of October. I put it off as long as I could. Hopefully by then the community will have a chance to see what the program is really about before they make any judgments about it.”
She wondered what such a meeting might mean for her job. Was it in jeopardy? “That gives me a little time to prepare.”
“I want you to be ready for heavy opposition. I’ve heard through the grapevine that Sykes has political aspirations. My guess is that he’s using this fight as a springboard for election to the state legislature. He likes to portray himself as a champion of wholesome family values.”
“As opposed to me, the whore of Babylon.”
Rob laughed. “Well, I wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but yeah, that’s how he wants to draw the lines. Listen, is there any way you can talk to Wyatt Stewart, feel him out on which way he’s leaning? He supported the daycare initially, but I’m not sure what he’s going to do this time around. You can talk to him. He is your father-in-law, after all.”
“Ex-father-in-law. That’s a big distinction in Wyatt’s book.” Their relationship had improved over the summer, ever since she’d allowed Ava to spend more time with the Stewarts, but she was still unclear how he felt about her. “I don’t want my daughter in the middle of a scuffle between us. I think it’s best if I leave our personal relationship out of the equation.”
“I guess I understand, but it really would be a shame if the daycare got axed. It’s a worthwhile program.”
“You don’t have to convince me. We’ve got the children of five students in the daycare right now. That means five young women are going to finish their education.”
“I know, but I think we’ve got an uphill climb ahead of us in convincing people like Ralph Sykes.”
Julia sighed. “Looks like I have a fight to get ready for. Maybe I’ll start lifting weights or take up kick boxing.”
Rob laughed again. “That’s the spirit. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Bye.”
Julia had no sooner put down the phone when there was a knock at her door. She called “Come in,” and Ralph Sykes stood in her doorway.
Speak of the devil.
“Ralph. What can I do for you?”
“Do you have a moment?”
“Sure. Come in.”
He closed the door as he entered her office. “I just wanted to let you know, as a courtesy, that a public meeting to discuss the future of the daycare has been called.”
“Yes, I just heard. Superintendent Perkins called me. But thanks for telling me personally.”
“You’re welcome. I wanted to give you the opportunity to remove the daycare yourself and avoid the public embarrassment of a meeting.”
Her eyebrows rose at that statement. “I’m not afraid to defend the daycare in public. In fact, I welcome a discussion. Perhaps you’re uncertain of your support?”
His expression hardened, his lips compressing in a thin line. “Absolutely not. A lot of people support my position, including Wyatt Stewart.”
“Really? I understand Wyatt voted for the daycare at the initial school board meeting.”
“Well, perhaps,” Ralph sputtered, “but that doesn’t mean he still does.”
“I guess we’ll find out at the public meeting, won’t we?” She reached into her desk and plucked a file from her bottom drawer. “Actually, I’m glad you dropped by, because there was something I wanted to discuss with you.”
“What is that?” he asked warily.
“I’ve been doing some investigation, and I’ve discovered that on standardized math tests your students have some of the lowest scores in the state. I’ve also talked to a number of parents who’ve been unhappy with the grades their children have been getting. Their kids are not understanding the concepts. Many have had to hire outside tutors to help.”
“A lot of students find math and calculus difficult.”
“That’s true,” Julia conceded with a dip of her head. “They’re difficult subjects. But even some of our best and brightest students have trouble with your math classes. Why do you think that is, Ralph?”
“How should I know?”
“But that’s precisely my point. You should know, and you should care. I’m recommending that you take a remedial course in teaching math.”
“That’s ridiculous! I’ve been teaching math for twenty years, and I’ve never had a principal question my skills!”
“I believe that you did care at one time, Ralph, but you’ve become so focused on your political views that you’ve lost sight of actually teaching. If you spent as much time helping your students as you do trying to establish your political career, we’d all be better off.”
“How did you know about that?”
“It’s a small island, Ralph. Everybody knows.” She sat back in her chair and folded her arms. “I need teachers who are fully engaged in their jobs. I think you need to decide which career path you want to take.”
“I don’t have to listen to this.”
He stormed out of the office, not bothering to shut her door. Julia sighed. She didn’t deliberately go looking for confrontations, but they seemed to find her pretty easily.
She gritted her teeth. If Ralph Sykes wanted a fight, he damn well was going to get one. Her students were worth fighting for.
But with all the blows she’d taken lately, she hoped she had enough stamina left to go the distance.
****
Over lunch, Alex took a break from the clinic and walked along the pier. The wind blowing in from the ocean was cool, though the sun was shining. Maybe the wind could blow the cobwebs from his brain. All morning the only thing he could think about was Julia. She was constantly in his thoughts. He wondered what she was doing, how she was feeling. Was Ava okay?
Finding an unoccupied bench, he ate the sandwich he’d picked up at the Love Caters All truck in the hospital parking lot and watched as waves crashed against the shore. The power and magnificence of the ocean soothed him, and he felt himself gradually relax. Even with its sometimes crazy weather, the beauty of this place had wormed its way into his heart. There was no place on earth like Lobster Cove.
Especially since the love of his life was here.
His cell phone rang, and he saw his mother’s phone number on call display. He clicked the Talk button.
“Mom, hi. How’s everything?”
“It’s good. I’m at work right now, but I wanted to share my news with you. The house in La Jolla sold, and I got a new place. I bought a condo.”
“That’s great. Where is it?”
“It’s part way between the university and Nona’s house. I have a little farther to commute to work, but I’m closer to my family. I think it’s the best of both worlds, and I love the place. It’s small, but it’s really cute, and the best thing is, it’s all mine.” She sounded excited and happy.
“I’m really glad for you, Mom. You deserve it.”
“Thanks, honey. I’ll send you an email with the new address.” She paused. “You sound…I don’t know, a little blue. Are you okay?”
“Mom, I’m…”
He was going to say he was fine, to deny his feelings, but in reality he was anything but fine. And for the first time in a very long time, he didn’t want to shut his mother out of his life.
“Mom, I met someone here, and I love her very much.”
Alex told her about Julia, and Ava, and Paul and Dora Dawson. “So she’s on one coast and I’m going to be on the other, and never the twain shall meet. I understand why she wants to stay here, why she needs to stay here. I don’t know what to do.”
“Do you really love her, Alex? And you reall
y love her little girl?”
“Yes, I love them.” He bent his head and squeezed his eyes shut. “I can’t imagine not being with them. These last few days, not seeing Julia, or not being able to touch her when I do see her, it’s been painful. When I leave here…I don’t know what I’m going to do, Mom.”
“I loved your dad like that,” she whispered. “When he died, part of me died too, the best part of me. I don’t want you to go through that.”
He’d never heard his mother talk about his father that way. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“I know it was a long time ago, but sometimes it feels like yesterday. Mostly, now, I can remember the good times we had together, and the love we shared, and it doesn’t hurt so much. But there are times, like the anniversary of his death, when I miss him so much.”
“I wish I remembered more about him.”
“You were so young. The night he died, he’d just worked a double shift in the emergency room. He’d worked several nights in a row before that, and he was so tired. But they were short-handed, so they asked him to stay. When he phoned me to tell me he wouldn’t be home until after midnight, I begged him not to stay. He was wearing himself out.”
“He had the accident that night, and you think it was because he was overtired.”
“There’s no doubt. The police told me he must have fallen asleep. He drove straight into a retaining wall.” He heard her take a shaky breath. “All the fights we had about your work, all the times I nagged at you, I just couldn’t bear the thought of you working so hard like your father. I want you to have a wonderful life with a family and friends and the time and energy to enjoy them. I want so much more for you than your father and I were able to have.”
“Why did you never tell me this before, Mom?”
“I don’t know. I wanted to, but for so many years we haven’t been close. We seemed to fight every time we talked. I didn’t feel like you wanted to hear what I had to say. Talking about your father was too painful to have it dismissed like it was nothing.”
“I’m sorry I made you feel that way.”
“It’s my fault. I didn’t talk to you about your father when you were growing up. It was too painful. But he was always in my heart. He still is.”
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