by Elle A. Rose
*
Pulling into the Grayson driveway, I notice Dominick has done a wonderful job maintaining the lawn. The sidewalk is well edged and all of the bushes have been trimmed nicely. The family home seems to be aging with time. The light green paint seems to be fading in the morning sunlight. I left my house at one-thirteen this morning and it took me a little under five hours to get here. Maddie told me she needed to check into the hospital by seven-thirty today so they could prep her for her nine-forty-five surgery. Climbing from the car, I hear the front door open. My eyes move in the direction of the creaky door to find…wow, I cannot believe it. It is Maddie and she has a cane. From where I am standing, she appears much older than she did the last time we were together. Most of her neighbors are still asleep, but I am still going to walk at a normal human pace to get to her. As I approach the porch, she steps out of the doorway to greet me with open arms.
“Amber, sweetheart, thank you so much for coming. I’ve missed you.”
Her frail, frailer than before, body pulls me into a hug. “Maddie, I’ve missed you too. I’m happy that you called.” We release each other and as she steps back into the house, she grabs my hand and we glide towards the living room to sit down.
“I hope you didn’t pack light this time. I don’t think my closets can handle another one of your shopping sprees.”
I try to hold back a smile. “Yes, Maddie, I do believe I brought everything I may want during my stay. But I can’t promise you that I still won’t do any shopping.”
Maddie sighs and pats my hand. Her hands seem just as delicate as the rest of her. Examining her, I believe she has lost about twenty pounds. Her hair has more gray than black, and the wrinkles on her face are more defined. My heart tends not to feel much, but right now, a slight pull tugs at my heart as I gaze at my aging friend. “How are you, Maddie?”
“Oh, I’m well. I feel a whole heck of a lot better than I look.”
She has noticed I am taking an inventory of her appearance. “I’m sure you do.” I give her hand a light squeeze.
On the second floor, I hear a buzzing. I am assuming it is an alarm clock. I do not own one, never have and never will, but I have lived near neighbors who have. I remember this one neighbor who would hit her snooze button at least four times every morning. I never understood the point of that. The silly thing would go off every fifteen minutes for an hour before she would finally get up. Why did she not just set her alarm an hour later and get up then? The alarm has stopped. I do believe Dominick has just rolled over in bed. He is still awake, I can tell by his breathing, however, I do not know how much longer he will stay that way.
Maddie chuckles and says, “I hope I don’t have to go up there to make sure he gets up. He has lacrosse camp in about an hour that he needs to go to.”
My gaze has been fixed on the stairs leading towards the upper level of the house. I turn and look at Maddie. “Will we be dropping him off at camp before I take you to the hospital?”
“No, his friends, the Ruggford boys and Ryan will be by to pick him up soon. Most days Dominick drives himself to camp, but I asked him to check to see if the Ruggford twins would mind picking him up this morning, and then dropping him off at the hospital afterwards. I figured it would be easier that way. You know then the two of you could just ride back to the house together.”
Has it really been that long since the last time I came to stay? Dominick and his friends are old enough to drive. Come to think of it, he turned seventeen a few months back—well, it was exactly four months to the day.
“Yes, dear, time sure has flown by.”
Maddie once again has read my mind. She stands and makes her way towards the stairs. I get up to help her and she shoos me away.
“I don’t need your help. I’m still capable of moving. Go unpack your car. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
Watching her walk up the stairs, it takes everything in me not to carry her. I cannot watch, so I head to the car. On my way out the door, I hear her knock on Dominick’s door, making sure he gets up. I am pretty sure he is awake, that or he has company in his room. From the movement my ears are detecting, there is something much heavier sounding than the last memory I have of how Dominick should sound when walking. Grabbing all of my bags, I enter the house and head upstairs. Maddie has not said anything yet, but I am confident I will be staying in the same room I have stayed in during my last two visits.
I just missed Dominick. I caught a glimpse of him walking into and shutting the bathroom door. He is much taller than the last time I saw him. I guess that would account for the heavy movement in his room. A thought has crossed my mind that I will need to discuss with Maddie. Walking back out the room, I go downstairs. Maddie is waiting for me on the porch.
The drive to the hospital is nice. We are able to catch up on the last four and a half years. On our arrival, it is pretty simple getting her checked in, but I understand why they need so much time before the operation to get the patient ready. There are a lot of forms to fill out and a lot of questions to be asked. After all of the paper work is complete, we get Maddie ready: discarding her clothes for hospital clothing, which Maddie does not need help doing but I insist on helping with. When we were finished they moved her to another room where she is now resting in the bed awaiting her surgical team. I have found the whole process interesting. I understand why she would have rather had me here to help than Dominick. That reminds me of the question I wanted to ask her earlier.
“Maddie?”
“Yes, dear?”
“I understand why it was helpful for me to be here with you today, but, and please don’t take this the wrong way, you said on the phone you needed me to come and stay with Dominick while you were in the hospital. I know I don’t have any children, still isn’t he old enough to take care of himself? I mean…” I stop myself. What do I really mean? Perhaps, I have not thought this through all the way. When is a child old enough to go out on their own now-a-days? Maddie gives me a weak smile.
“I wanted to talk to you about that.”
She pauses and I try not to give her an uneasy stare while she collects her thoughts. If she is taking this conversation slowly, she is about to say something I do not want to hear.
“You’re right. Dominick is much older now. I wouldn’t go as far as to say he no longer needs me, but I’m sure he would be okay to fend for himself for a few days. He um, actually doesn’t know you’re here. He doesn’t even know that you’ll be staying for a while.”
She stops again and looks out of the small window to her left. Something is troubling her.
“Maddie, what is it? I can tell you have something else to say. Please don’t make me read your thoughts. I’m trying hard not to.” She jerks her head back towards me, opens her mouth as to say something, and then stops. I presume she was about to tell me to stay out of her head. She takes a deep breath in real slow and lets it out in the same fashion.
“Amber, I’m getting old, and my health is failing. Truth be told, I never thought I would have to raise any of my grandchildren, then again, what grandparent thinks about having to raise their children’s children. And to think I had to do it pretty much alone.”
Taking another deep breath, she brushes a tear from her eye.
“What are you trying to say, Maddie?” Nervousness is written all over her face, as she closes her eyes, she slowly nods her head as if agreeing to some silent conversation that I have completely missed.
She clears her throat. “I need you to promise me something, Amber.”
Finally opening her eyes to meet my gaze, I find weariness in her face that I have not seen in a long time. The stare takes me back to the night after Lance’s funeral. I reach out and grab her hand. She looks down at our hands and smiles.
“Amber, I need you to promise that you will take care of Dominick when I’m gone.”
Oh, it must be nerves that are making her talk like this. “Maddie, everything will
be fine. The doctors do this all the time. I’m sure you’re just nervous.”
She laughs to herself. “You are always too kind. You have been from the very beginning. You know he loves you. Always has. I’ve been thinking about it, and well things could work out between the two of you.”
Wait! What? This is not where I thought she was going with this.
Quickly scanning her mind, I find what she is trying to say. I see what she is thinking and it, wow, this is not something I expected to hear from her. This is not even a thought that would have crossed my mind. Leaning back just slightly, I-I am speechless.
“Amber, don’t look at me that way. I’m assuming you just read my mind, and you see where I’m going with this. Think about it, you…”
“Maddie stop, please.” My voice inside her head startles her just a little. It has been a long time since we talked this way. Clearing my throat, I lightly pull my hand from her grip. I am surprised she was able to hold on even with the jerking movement I made. “Maddie, you know I’ll always be there for Dominick, just as I’m here for you, as I was for Lance.” The mention of her husband’s name makes her heart skip a beat. “But what you’re suggesting...” Hmm, how do I put this? “I-umm. He is your grandson for crying out loud! Where would such a thought come from?” Before she can answer, Dr. Goust and a young woman walk in the room. Trying to have the last word, Maddie speaks quietly under her breath for only me to hear.
“We can finish this conversation later. That is, if I make it through this whole ordeal.”
“Please stop thinking that way. You will be fine. And this, I mean that conversation is over.” Sighing simultaneously, we turn our heads to greet the new warm bodies in the room.
“Good morning, ladies.”
I believe Dr. Goust is still a little upset with my decline of his date a few years ago, since he will not look me in the eyes. Maddie and I both smile as they come further into the room. Heading straight to Maddie’s bed, he lifts the chart and begins to scribble something on the paper.
“Mrs. Grayson, this is Dr. Slates, and she will be assisting me today. Do you have any questions before we take you back?”