“We’ll have more crime up here than we do now,” he said in a voice loud enough to carry throughout the room.
“And we have too much as it is!” Betty replied. “After that break-in at the pharmacy, I’m nervous to park in the back lot.”
“It’s no wonder.” Bill let out a snort. “If people knew how you and I felt, they’d be on our side.”
Mia considered the waiting room a private place akin to her living room. Bill was a guest here, but if she asked him to refrain from politicking, he might storm out, angrier than ever and still in physical pain. She settled for eavesdropping while she e-prescribed for the patient checking out.
Mr. Hatcher’s voice rose a notch. “If Jake Tanner has his way, we’ll have a lot more of that kind of trouble. I guarantee it.” He shifted awkwardly on the soft chair and winced.
“Yes, we will.” Poor Betty coughed up half a lung.
Hatcher didn’t seem to notice. “If that kennel fire didn’t open his eyes to the risk, nothing will.”
“Poor Frank and Claire,” Betty remarked. “I hear she started it by accident.”
“If Tanner can’t watch out for his mother, why should we trust him to watch out for those kids?”
Spitting mad, Mia somehow schooled her features, sent the e-script, and told the patient, Mrs. Conway, to call in a week if she didn’t feel better. Tight-lipped, Mia skimmed her schedule. There were three patients ahead of Hatcher. The sooner she saw them, the sooner she could finish with him and he would leave.
His voice pressed through the glass. Even muted, she could hear every word he said to Art Conway, who stood as his wife approached.
“So, Art,” Bill said, “what do you say?”
“About what?”
“This youth camp nonsense.”
“No opinion.” Art sold insurance for a living and was everybody’s friend. Mia wondered if he had a real opinion on anything other than the Denver Broncos.
Bill hunkered forward, wincing again. “You can’t think it’s a good thing. Wait until all those vandalism claims roll in.”
Art shrugged. “Bad things happen. It’s life.”
“But we don’t have to throw open our doors and invite trouble inside,” Hatcher countered.
“Hear! Hear!” The remark came from a mom with two young children. “We moved up here to get away from bad influences.”
Mia barely restrained herself from speaking up. The woman was naïve if she thought she could escape drugs, crime, and teen pregnancy by moving to a small town. Mia had been in Echo Falls for close to two months, and she’d seen all that and more.
Another man joined in the fray, then an elderly woman shouted over him.
Mia turned to Kelsey. “I’m going to break a rule and take Mr. Hatcher back now. We’ll call it triage.” The most urgent problem first, and Bill Hatcher was a problem.
Just as Mia reached for the doorknob, her phone signaled a text. Thinking of Lucy, she stole a glance.
Call me. Help! BED REST.
“Oh no.” Not good. Not good at all. But she couldn’t call Lucy with the quarrel in the waiting room. Breathing a prayer, she called Mr. Hatcher back to the exam room.
He glared at her but didn’t say a word about Jake or the camp. Mia deflected the hostility with a low-key greeting, took his vital signs, and asked him about his problem.
“Back spasms.” He grimaced at a jolt of pain. “Collins used to prescribe muscle relaxants.”
Mia skimmed his record, saw the medicine, and did the same. “I’ll send the script now. Do you still use Blackstone Apothecary?”
Hatcher smirked. “I sure do. It’s the place with the busted window.”
Somehow she kept her mouth shut. Stone-faced, she e-prescribed the medication, faced Mr. Hatcher, and told him to call in three days if he didn’t feel better.
He grumbled a thank-you and walked out of the exam room, his cane thumping on the linoleum floor.
Mia put Hatcher out of her mind, saw the last few patients, and hurried to her office to call Lucy.
Her sister picked up on the first ring, her voice shaky with tears. “Mia?”
“Hi, honey. What’s up?”
“I can’t believe it. The doctor put me on bed rest. Well, sort of. He called it ‘restricted activity,’ but it’s the same thing, isn’t it? I don’t want a C-section. I really don’t. I’m just so—”
“Lucy, wait. Please.”
“I’m just so scared. I didn’t expect this.”
“Is Sam with you?”
Lucy sniffed. “He’s right next to me. We’re sitting in the car.”
“Good.” Mia stayed at her desk. Lucy was her sister, not a patient, but her professionalism kicked in with full force. “Put me on speaker, okay?”
After a pause, Sam’s voice reached her ears. “Hi, Mia.”
“Hello, Sam. Let’s see if we can sort this out together. First, aside from restricted activity, what did the doctor say about the placenta previa?”
“It’s partial,” Sam answered. “He said there’s still time for the placenta to move up, but that Lucy should stay off her feet as much as possible.”
“Did he limit her to one shower a day and trips to the bathroom?”
“No,” Sam replied.
“That’s good.” Mia breathed a little easier. “It sounds like he’s just being cautious. I like that.”
“Really?” Lucy’s voice cracked.
“Yes, I do. As long as you can rest and stay off your feet, there’s no reason not to do it.”
Sam broke in. “I asked him about being an hour from a hospital—if we should move down to the Springs. He said it was up to us. What do you think?”
“I’ve thought about it too. The pros are that Lucy has good family support in Echo Falls. I’m five minutes away, and Frank and Jake are in and out of the house. As long as Claire isn’t too demanding, I think the pros outweigh the biggest con of moving to the Springs, which is being alone all day while you’re in school. Bed rest sounds like a vacation, but it’s a lot tougher than people realize.”
“Mia?” Lucy sounded stronger.
“Yes, honey?”
“I can handle Claire. She mostly colors at the kitchen table or watches old sitcoms. Or she coaxes Peggy McFuzz into her lap and gives her treats.”
“They’re friends?”
“The best. Claire’s the one who talked her out from behind the couch. They’re inseparable now.” While Mia smiled at the picture of Claire spoiling Miss McFuzz, Lucy let out a sigh. “I hate the idea of being alone all day, but even before the doctor visit, we talked about moving down here because of the commute. It’s hard for Sam.”
“I told you, Lucy.” Impatience leaked into his voice. “I can handle the drive.”
Mia admired his determination, but he put in long days between his classes and ROTC. In good weather, the roundtrip commute was over two hours. She worried about his endurance as much as she worried about Lucy. “That’s between you two. You know I’ll support you any way I can.”
Sam broke in. “We’re staying in Echo Falls. It’s best for Lucy and the baby. I’m glad you’re there, Mia.”
She heard murmuring, then Lucy came back over the phone. Her voice came out lighter, even happy. “Mia, you’re the best sister ever.”
Mia grinned. “No, you are.”
“No, you—Oh!” Lucy gasped. “I almost forget the other big news!”
So had Mia. “Pink or blue?”
“Pink. We’re having a girl!”
Tears rushed into Mia’s eyes. No matter what her own future held, she planned to spoil her niece rotten with frilly dresses, stuffed bears, and every Fisher-Price toy on the market.
Sam’s easy chuckle reached her ears. “A daughter. I can’t believe it. I have no idea what to do with a little girl.”
“You’ll figure it out.” Mia offered the advice she gave dads-to-be in Dr. Moore’s office. “You love Lucy, right?”
“You know I do.”
“She already does,” Sam replied.
“I’m kind of relieved,” Lucy admitted. “I wouldn’t know what to do with a boy.”
Mia grinned again, this time with a hint of envy. “You’d love him to pieces. That’s all it takes.”
“I would.” Lucy’s voice wobbled a little. “But right now, I just want a safe delivery.”
“Hang in there,” Mia told her. “You won’t be pregnant forever, though I hear it feels that way. Let’s hope the placenta moves up. It can still happen. In fact, the odds are in your favor.”
She glanced at the clock. It was almost time for the first patient of the afternoon. If she didn’t use the bathroom, she’d spring a leak. “Anything else before I get back to work?”
“Just one thing. I need a favor.”
“What is it?”
“Claire’s with Barb. We were supposed to pick her up by four o’clock, but Sam’s CO called. He wants to meet with Sam at three, and Jake and Frank are installing machines at a big hotel today. I was wondering if you could pick up Claire and stay with her until Jake and Frank get back?”
Mia glanced at the schedule on her tablet and saw three cancellations. “It’ll be tight, but I can do it.” Seeing Jake was an added bonus.
“Perfect. I’ll call Barb. If you could fix dinner for Claire, that would be nice. Her new favorite is grilled cheese on sourdough. And check Peggy McFuzz’s water, okay? Claire either fills it a hundred times or she completely forgets.”
“Got it.”
“Thank you, Mia.” A new lightness rang in Lucy’s voice. “Sam and I have a couple of hours to kill, so we’re going to grab lunch. Beanie Girl’s craving a chili cheese dog with extra onions.”
Mia chuckled. “You’re going to get the worst case of heartburn ever!”
“Maybe. But if I’m going to be housebound, I might as well live it up now.”
The sentiment was just like Lucy. Seize the moment! Worry about the consequences later. Mia envied her that freedom but not the heartburn.
Her tablet flashed to show her first patient had checked in a little early. “My one o’clock is here. I need to eat lunch and get busy.”
“Bye!”
“Bye,” Mia replied, but Lucy was already gone.
A bittersweet smile lifted Mia’s lips. She would miss holding her niece in her arms if she took the job with Mission Medical, but maybe that was for the best. Lucy didn’t really need her anymore. That had been the goal, and they’d always be just a phone or Skype call apart. And Mia would always be the big sister, not the younger one calling for help.
Who did Mia call when she needed that kind of support? No one, really. Not even Jake. Dr. Moore was a friend but not a substitute mother. Mia enjoyed other friendships in Denver, but she was the advice giver, not the recipient. Mostly she prayed and asked God to guide her. She would have enjoyed talking to Claire, but Claire’s wisdom was lost forever.
Pushing a burst of melancholy aside, Mia gobbled her lunch and went to work. She finished with patients early, went home to change clothes, and picked up Claire from Barb’s house. Claire was confused by Mia’s presence and a different car, but Mia guided her with a hug and they drove to the Tanner ranch.
Claire went straight to the living room to watch television. No Netflix or Hulu in this room, but so far Claire could manage the still familiar remote to the old DVD player. When she was comfortable in her chair with Peggy McFuzz in her lap and Mary Tyler Moore on the TV screen, Mia refilled the dog’s water bowl and fixed Claire a grilled cheese sandwich. She brought it to her on a paper plate, and they settled into the monotony that was Alzheimer’s disease.
They talked a little, mostly about Mary’s clothes and that funny man with the white hair. Claire didn’t understand the more cerebral jokes, but she laughed whenever Mary pulled a funny face.
Mia ached for her, and a little for herself. There was so much she wanted to ask Claire about life and marriage, Jake’s childhood, what he was like as a boy. Instead they watched Mary toss her hat in the air as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Maybe she didn’t, but where would Mary be in another twenty years? Would she regret any of her choices?
Claire sat entranced by the show, lost in the 1970s or maybe at home there. Aching for them both, Mia watched the sitcom until Frank’s work truck chugged into the driveway. Peggy McFuzz leaped off Claire’s lap and barked like a maniac, defending both her new turf and Claire.
“Frank’s home,” Mia said.
Honest surprise flashed on Claire’s face, as if she hadn’t seen Frank in a million years. She picked up the remote, muted the sound, and looked expectantly at the door.
When Frank walked in, the dog danced on her hind legs until he gave her a scratch. Straightening, he greeted Mia, then kissed Claire on the cheek. “How’s my beautiful wife?”
Claire beamed at him. “I’m just fine. Sit. We’re watching television.” She pointed at Frank’s recliner. He patted her shoulder and turned to Mia, remaining on his feet.
“Thanks for covering for us. Sam texted Jake, so I heard their news.”
“A little girl.” Mia smiled with a hint of wistfulness.
“We’re thrilled for them,” he said, including Claire, but then he lowered his voice and spoke only to Mia. “Jake and I discussed the bed rest angle. We don’t want Lucy to overdo it with Claire. If we need to make other arrangements, we will.”
“That’s nice of you, Frank.”
“Lucy’s a sweet kid.” He patted Claire’s shoulder to include her again. “Isn’t she, honey?”
“Who?”
“Lucy,” he repeated. “She lives with us.”
“Oh, yes.” But Claire’s eyes glazed with confusion. Suddenly lost, she focused hard on the television, nestled back in her recliner, and aimed the remote at the television, presumably to unmute it.
Mia braced for a volume blast. That happened when Claire mixed up the buttons. Instead Claire pressed the power button, and the screen faded to black.
“Oh no! I broke it.”
“No, you didn’t.” Frank indicated the remote clenched in her hand. “You pushed the green button by accident. Push it again, and the show will come back on.”
Claire stared at the remote as if it were a block of wood, her fingers tight and her brows pinched in concentration. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t make the connection.
Gently, as if she were a toddler clutching a toy, Frank pried her fingers from the remote. “Let’s see if I can fix it.”
“Fix it?”
“Yes. Like this.” He aimed the remote and clicked.
Mary Tyler Moore returned to the screen, and Frank set the remote on the end table. Claire had so little control in her life that letting her keep the remote seemed like a nice thing to do, but she snatched it up and somehow turned off the DVD player. A commercial for diabetes products played on the screen.
Claire shrugged and hit the power button. “I guess the show’s over.”
Heaving a tired sigh, Frank offered Claire his hand. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go for a walk.”
Technology evolved and people declined, but the mountains remained the same. Claire stared at him for several seconds, then blinked, her expression softening as the stiffness of Alzheimer’s gave way to the softer lines of a tired, aging woman. But then a panicked look crossed her face. “The dogs—what time is it? They need to be fed.”
The dogs had been picked up a month ago. Mia opened her mouth to remind Claire, a knee-jerk reaction from her own healthy brain, but Frank signaled her to remain quiet.
“The dogs are fine,” he said to Claire.
“Oh, good.” She looked at the blank television screen, shrugged, and pushed the recliner upright. But as Frank took her hand, the confusion returned. “The dogs. They need to be fed—”
“They’re fine,” he repeated. “Let’s
sit outside.”
“The dogs—”
“They’re fine, honey.” Frank sounded weary to the bone, but he slipped his arm around Claire, then spoke just to Mia. “If you want to say hello to Jake, he’s out in the barn.”
“Thanks. I’ll go right now.”
“He’ll like that.” Frank’s eyes twinkled a bit, maybe with the memory of being young and on the threshold of love. Or maybe with the history of being old and committed to the same woman his entire life.
Mia couldn’t ask Claire about marriage or the glue that kept a man and woman together for a lifetime, but she saw the depth of Frank’s commitment in everything he did. And in Claire, even agitated and confused, Mia saw a deep and abiding trust in her husband. Her heart swelled with admiration for these two older people, both strong individuals but partners for life.
She returned Frank’s twinkle with one of her own. “You love her very much.”
“With all my heart.”
Mia gave Frank a hug, then hugged Claire—extra hard because Claire adored that kind of affection. Satisfied, she hurried to the barn to find Jake. She wasn’t ready to make a big decision about her future, but she was very confident in the small one she wanted to make tonight. She had skipped the grilled cheese and was hungry. Dinner together, just the two of them, sounded perfect.
As she approached the barn, the interior light went out, and Jake emerged from the doorway, a shadow defined by the pearlescent moon. She couldn’t see his features, only the planes of his cheeks and his square jaw.
“Hi,” she called to him. “I’m glad you’re back.”
“Thanks for helping out. It’s not easy being with my mom.” They met in the middle of the yard. “How many episodes of Mary Tyler Moore did you watch?”
“Only three.”
“And every time Mary made a funny face, my mom laughed.”
“She didn’t miss a beat.” Mia kept her voice light, not in humor but in defiance of the dark.
When Jake smiled in the same way, Mia touched his arm. “You look exhausted.”
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