She's My Mom

by Rebecca Winters

  “At God, then?” he prodded.

  “Him, too.” Brett confessed. “But I was upset even before Mom died.”

  Susan was in the next room, yet his son was still referring to her in the past tense.

  A few hours ago, he’d heard Brett’s voice ring out loud and clear, “I knew it was Mom! Let’s go get her and bring her home.” It felt like a lifetime since they’d done that.

  Filled with curiosity over Brett’s admission, he asked, “Why were you upset?”

  “Because after she got a job, everything seemed…different. She promised it wouldn’t change anything. But it did, because you two weren’t as happy after that, and in the end it cost Mom her life. Or so I thought,” he said in a tremulous voice.

  Grady had underestimated his son’s awareness of what had gone on during that period of their marriage.

  “You’re right that things were different, Brett. I felt fine about her going to work, but it hurt to think she wouldn’t talk it over with me first. We’d always been so close, it seemed out of character for her to keep anything from me. I began to question her love.”

  “You never said that before.” He sounded faintly accusing. Grady couldn’t blame him.

  “I know. I was trying to support her in her decision. You’d already told me the reason she’d given you.”

  “It was really lame what she said about wanting to find out if she could take care of us in case you died. I thought the real reason was because you guys were going to get a divorce.”

  Dear Lord.

  “Brett, I worshipped your mother. However, I can’t speak for her, or know what was going on in her mind at the time. If she entertained thoughts of divorcing me, she never said the words.”

  He sighed. “Merrill Wilson’s mom got a job before she and his dad separated. It messed him up so bad, he used to stay at his grandma’s after school. That made it harder for him to be with me and Mike.”

  “I didn’t know that was the reason he didn’t come around as much.”

  “He made us swear to keep quiet about it, ’cause he hoped his parents wouldn’t go through with their divorce, but they did.” After a silence, he whispered, “Dad? What’s going to happen to our family?”

  Grady’s breath caught. “Well—I can tell you one thing we’re not going to do.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Fall apart. We’ve got to look at your mother as if she has an illness.”

  “You mean like Alzheimer’s?”

  “I suppose that’s as good an analogy as any.”

  “Jack Openshaw’s grandpa has it. He didn’t recognize Jack or me the last time we went over to his grandparents’ house.”

  “That has to be hard on Jack. Still, it doesn’t change his love for his grandfather, any more than your mom’s memory loss affects our love for her. Unlike his condition, however, your mother’s may be reversible. Her memory could come back.”

  “Do you think it will?”

  “We can hope. When it’s safe, I’m making an appointment for her to see a neurosurgeon. We’ll see what he or she has to say. If it turns out her memory loss is permanent, then we’ll have to deal with it in our own time and our own way. For now, she needs our love and protection without us expecting anything in return. That’s the hard part.”

  “I know. I felt like a fool standing there tonight waiting for her to hug me and tell me how much she loved me.”

  “Then we were both fools,” Grady confessed. “I was hoping she’d ask me to come to bed and hold her.”

  Another period of quiet ensued before Brett spoke again. “Dad? If the person who tried to kill Mom finds out she’s alive…”

  “Are you absolutely certain Mike’s in the dark about the real reason you got sick tonight?” Grady demanded.

  “Positive!”

  “Then our secret is safe. I’ve thought everything through. With Mrs. Harmon’s help, we’ll be able to keep your mother here for the next week without anyone knowing.”

  “Mrs. Harmon?”

  “Yes. We can’t do this alone, and she’s one of the few people I trust right now. Early tomorrow morning I’ll drive over to her house. When she hears what’s happened, she’ll do everything she can to assist us while I get started on my investigation.”

  “What are you going to do first?”

  “Drive out to the reservation and talk to the couple who found your mother. When I’ve pieced together a few things, I’ll know whether or not she needs to go into hiding for an extended period.”

  “You mean like the witness protection program?”

  “Yes. But it may not come to that. We’ll just have to wait and see. The hardest part after next week will be for you and me to act natural around our family and friends.”

  “I know. One mistake could give everything away.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Mike’ll be dropping over tomorrow. So will some of my other friends.”

  “Call them in the morning. Tell them we’re leaving on vacation for Florida and won’t be back until school starts.”

  “Okay. What about your work?”

  “I’m off duty for the next two weeks, so we’re set.”

  “Uh-oh. What about Mom’s job at the hotel? She can’t go back.”

  Brett’s quick mind gave Grady the confidence to involve his son, knowing he could trust him to say and do the things that would keep Susan safe.

  “I already have an idea that should satisfy her boss as well as her roommates. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.” He glanced at the bedside clock. “It already is tomorrow.”

  “You sound tired, Dad. I’ll let you get some sleep.”

  Grady felt the mattress give as Brett slid off the bed. When he reached the door, he paused.

  “Thanks for the talk, Dad. I feel a lot better.”

  “So do I.”

  “If Mom never remembers us,” he whispered, “just know I love you, Dad.”

  Tears filled Grady’s eyes. “I love you, too. We’ll make it, Brett. One way or another, all three of us are going to make it as a family.”

  Grady had to believe that.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “MOM? DO YOU WANT me to show you one of your favorite outfits?” Brett had just come into her bedroom to tell her Grady was making a big welcome-home breakfast and expected them downstairs in a few minutes.

  Her son’s motive for asking the question was heart-breakingly transparent. He wanted her to turn into his mother again.

  Susan had spent most of the night looking through the photo album he’d left on the table. She couldn’t recall seeing herself in anything remotely resembling the pink dress she was wearing.

  Whoever said a picture was worth a thousand words was right.

  So many birthdays, parties with friends, vacations at the beach—everything recorded there. Dozens of groupings of her parents, her brother and his family, her husband and son. She belonged to a beautiful family. They all looked happy in every photograph.

  Brett was a darling boy. The kind every mother dreamed of. One day, he would mature into an attractive man. A man like his father…

  But there were shadows in her son’s eyes now that shouldn’t be there. Shadows she hadn’t seen in the pictures. The tragedy that had struck their family had blighted Brett’s world. Like Grady, he was holding back his grief and confusion.

  He was so careful in the way he phrased his questions, and he obviously resisted pushing too hard if he thought it would upset her. All the joy and enthusiasm for life she’d seen in his photographs had been diminished by the loss of his mother.

  What exquisite irony that it was Brett who’d found her again. Brett who’d seen through the brown hairdo and bargain-store clothes to the mother he loved. A woman who had no memory of the past. A stranger who’d only hurt him further by not acknowledging him on the stairs when he’d called out to her.

  Susan had to do something quick to rectify the situation. She had no idea what the future held. If she
never got her memory back, it might mean they wouldn’t end up living together as a family.

  But she’d given birth to this boy. He needed his mother. That reality transcended all barriers, even amnesia. Now that he knew she was alive—now that she knew she had a son—there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do to help him recover.

  “I’ll tell you what,” she said. “Why don’t you bring it in here and I’ll wear it.”

  His eyes widened in disbelief. “You mean it?” he cried, running out of the bedroom backward.

  His excitement gave her a jolt because it showed how starved he was for her nurturing.

  While he was gone, she pulled the phone book out of the drawer and looked for a beauty salon that would take walk-in customers. She found several, writing them down on a piece of paper, which she put in her purse.

  “Here you are!”

  Brett had returned with a pair of pleated cotton pants in a tan color with a matching short-sleeved top. He’d also brought a pair of leather sandals in the same shade, and a scarf with a tan, cream, turquoise and blue design.

  “While you get dressed, I’ve got to get one more thing.”

  Humbled by this young teen who knew his mother’s taste so well, she hurried into the bathroom. Off came the pink dress. A few minutes later, she scarcely recognized the woman staring back at her in the mirror.

  The clothes looked stylish and feminine, yet Susan would never have chosen them for herself, even if she could’ve afforded them. It was incredible that amnesia could affect her down to her preference in decor and clothes. How many more changes would she discover before the morning was out?

  When she emerged, Brett was waiting for her. She didn’t know what reaction she’d get, but his silence was a dead giveaway that she’d fallen short of his expectations.

  “It’s the brown hair, isn’t it?” she asked. “After breakfast, let’s talk your father into driving us to a beauty salon.”

  His expression brightened. “You mean you’re going to dye it back?”

  “I sure am. As for the length, it’s shorter than you’re used to, but it’ll grow.”

  “Oh, Mom!”

  The next thing she knew, he was hugging her around the waist. His shoulders shook. She wrapped her arms around him and absorbed his sobs.

  Please, God. Let me remember.

  She heard a noise and looked up. There was her husband in the doorway. He wore a burgundy T-shirt and jeans that made her newly aware of his masculinity.

  He didn’t move a muscle. Susan got the impression that he was taking in the sight of his son being reunited with his mother.

  “Brett told me you were cooking up a storm downstairs,” she said, hoping to lessen his intensity.

  As soon as she spoke, his eyes grew haunted.

  Alarmed, she cried out, “What’s wrong?”

  Her son had let go of her and stared at her with the same expression as his father.

  Grady shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

  “Don’t tell me that. I can see it on your face.”

  “You used to say that a lot,” Brett finally said.

  “You mean ‘cooking up a storm’?”

  “Yeah. Did you remember something just now?”

  Susan would sell her soul to be able to tell him yes, but there could be no lies between them.

  “I’m sorry. I have no idea why I said it.”

  Her husband eyed her frankly. “There’ll probably be dozens of times when you’ll say or do things like the old Susan for no particular reason. It’s something we’ll just have to get used to.”

  Brett’s face fell.

  She tucked a finger under his chin and lifted it. “I’ll make you a promise. The second I remember anything, I’ll shout it to the skies and you’ll know all about it.”

  That brought a ghost of a smile to his lips.

  “Here, Mom. I forgot.”

  He handed her a smooth gold bracelet. Susan slipped it onto her wrist. “I love it.”

  “You used to say that a lot, too.” But this time he said it without looking as though he was ready to break down again.

  “Did you give it to me?”

  He nodded. “For your birthday.”

  “When was that?”

  “The Fourth of July.”

  “You’re kidding!”

  He smiled. “Nope. Grampa used to call you his favorite firecracker.”

  “I can just imagine all the creative names people have thought up for me over the years.”

  “Dad has one for you.”

  Susan had already seen a definite gleam in Grady’s eyes.

  “What’s that? Screaming Mimi?”

  Her husband chuckled deep in his throat. It was a purely male sound that sent an odd shiver of delight over her skin.

  “I see I was right.”

  She could tell he was about to say something when the doorbell rang.

  Brett stared at his father. “I bet that’s Mike.”

  “You know what to do.”

  He nodded before taking off at a run.

  Grady shut the door, then turned to her. “We’ll stay in here until Brett gives the all-clear.”

  She slid her hands into her pockets. “By the way, what have you decided I should tell my boss? I’m supposed to work on Monday.”

  “I’ve already talked to Carlos.”

  Somehow she wasn’t surprised by anything her husband did. Susan had the impression he could move mountains if he had to. “What did you say?”

  “That for months your family’s been trying to find you. When they finally caught up with you last night, they were overjoyed. After I told him you wanted to quit your job and go home to Oregon with them, he said he understood.

  “I conveyed your regrets for leaving without giving two weeks’ notice, but he said not to worry because he has dozens of applicants waiting for a housekeeping job.”

  “That was very nice of him.”

  “I agree.”

  “Obviously, I’m going to have to tell my roommates the same thing.”

  He nodded. “Do you want to do it now and get it over with?”

  “I think I’d better. Paquita generally goes out to breakfast with her boyfriend before we leave for work, and she’s the only one with a cell phone.”

  “Did you sign a lease?”

  “Yes. For a year.”

  “So you’ve got six more months to go.”

  She nodded.

  “Tell your friends you’ll be sending a money order for your share of the rent. Let them know they can keep or throw away whatever you left behind.”

  “All right. But it’s going to be hard to say goodbye. Those girls saved me from falling into a severe depression. One day, when there’s no more danger, I want to get in touch with them again, because I consider them my friends for life.”

  “I feel the same way. They helped keep my wife safe. For that, your friends have my undying gratitude.”

  My wife. He’d said it with a possessive ring. By the time she grasped the receiver, her fingers were trembling.

  MIKE SCUFFED THE TOE of his tennis shoe against the cement. “How come you didn’t tell me you were going to Florida today?”

  “’Cause I didn’t know. Dad got up this morning and said we were leaving.”

  “How soon?”

  “After breakfast.”

  “Heck. You’re going to miss swim-team tryouts.”

  “No, I’m not. Dad called and found out I can do it when I get back.”

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “Till a week from Sunday night.”

  “I bet I could come with you. Do you want me to?”

  “Ah…sure, but Dad’s got this idea about how we should be alone and make some new memories. You know. Since Mom died, we haven’t been anywhere together. It’s going to be cool.”

  “Yeah? Well, I guess I’ll see you when you’re back, then. Call me as soon as you get home.”

  “I will.”

&nb
sp; Mike got on his bike and pedaled for home. Twenty minutes later, he rode up the circular driveway.

  “Hey, Mike,” his father called from the garage. “Where’s Brett? I thought he wanted to earn some money this weekend helping us weed.”

  “He couldn’t come.” Mike jumped off his bike and rested it against the wall inside the garage.

  “Is he still sick?”

  “No. He’s going to Florida with his dad in a few minutes.”

  His father threw him a pair of gardening gloves. “Are you sure? When I invited Grady to dinner last night, he didn’t say anything about it.”

  “I guess he wanted to keep it a surprise until this morning. This spring vacation’s going to suck.”

  “Will they be gone the whole time?”

  “Yup. They’re taking a cruise. Brett says they’re going to snorkel and stuff.”

  “Well, what do you know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Grady’s been in a real depression. I didn’t think he would ever pull out of it.”

  “Brett sounded pretty excited. I wish I could’ve gone with them, but he said it was a father-and-son thing.”

  “Who’s going to look after their yard while they’re gone?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’m surprised Grady didn’t ask you, but maybe he had too many things on his mind. I’ll ask your mom to give the housekeeper a call. If she’d like the help, we could do it a couple of times so he won’t have to worry about it when they first get back.”

  “Great,” Mike muttered, kicking the ground with his toe. Not only was it going to be a boring vacation, but his dad would probably make him weed the Corbitts’ flower beds, too.

  GRADY HAD SET THE WALNUT table in the dining room for their first breakfast together. Again Susan found herself admiring the decor, especially the antique French breakfront.

  According to Brett, the display of the six-sided yellow plates—which were decorated with a famous folk design she didn’t recognize, from Quimper, France—had been a special Christmas present to her from Grady.

  “I’ve never had steak and eggs before. That was delicious.”

  She saw a secret message flash between father and son.