Marley thought about Abby’s mom. Doris made no bones about how she and God were on very familiar terms. She’d told Marley many times about how she walked on the beach and conversed with God about all sorts of things, big and small. Marley usually just smiled in an indulgent way. But now she wondered. Maybe these women knew something she didn’t.
For the first time in her life, Marley decided to knock on the door of the Almighty by asking if he could hear her … and whether or not he cared. She continued talking, unsure whether she was simply amusing herself or being listened to by God. But when she finally quit, she felt surprisingly better and not nearly so lonely. So, she decided, she might continue this little experiment, just to see where it might take her.
The next morning, she woke before the sun was up. She got out of bed, made coffee, then bundled up and went outside to drink it as the sky began to lighten. Suddenly she realized she was going to follow Doris’s advice. She set down her cup and headed out to the beach.
After an hour of walking and talking to God, Marley was back in her house feeling encouraged and refreshed and, to her surprise, very spiritually in tune and inspired. It still seemed too early to call and check on Paul’s condition, so she got out her brushes and started to paint.
It was nearly ten when she realized how much time had passed, and she paused to call Janie to find out the latest.
“There’s no change in his condition,” Janie said in a tired tone.
“How’s Abby holding up?”
“It helps having her family around her. But I know she’s hurting. She just keeps blaming herself, as if Paul would never have had a heart problem if she hadn’t wanted to start a bed-and-breakfast.”
“Which is perfectly ridiculous.”
“Yes, but she can’t see that.”
“Poor Abby. You know she really loves Paul.”
“I know.” Janie let out a long sigh. “It’s really hard being in Abby’s position, just waiting … not knowing.”
“Do you think I should come to the hospital?” Marley dunked her brush in the jar of water.
“I don’t know. With Doris, Jessie, Lucy, and—this afternoon—Laurie, too, well, I’m not even sure that I should stick around. I don’t want to be in the way.”
“Yes. That’s kind of how I felt.”
“In fact, after I pick Laurie up from the airport and drop her back here, I might just head for home.”
“Well, tell Abby to call me if she needs me to do anything,” Marley said. “I’ll be here all day, and I’m more than willing to drop everything if I can be of any help.”
“I will.”
Marley poured herself half a cup of coffee, then returned to her canvas and studied it as she sipped. She wasn’t sure how to describe her work, but she felt like there was a new kind of energy in this painting. It was more free-spirited and alive. Unless she was imagining things. She stepped back, narrowing her eyes and peering at it. Well, even if it was her imagination, she had to admit that she liked the direction the painting was going, and she couldn’t help but wonder if her attempt to connect herself to God might have something to do with it. After all, if God was the Creator of the universe, wasn’t it possible that some of his creativity might rub off onto her? Especially if she was spending time with him?
After spending all of Tuesday painting, and hearing that Paul’s condition had not changed, Marley decided to visit Abby at the hospital. She wasn’t sure that her visit would make much difference to Abby, but Marley simply felt she couldn’t stay away for another day.
“Oh, I’m so glad to see you,” Abby exclaimed as they hugged.
“How’s it going?”
Abby just shook her head. “No change.”
“I’m sorry.”
Abby peered into Marley’s eyes. “Do you still have that feeling? That Paul is going to recover?”
Marley considered this, then slowly nodded. “I do. I still do.”
Abby let out a sigh.
“Where’s your family?” Marley looked around the mostly vacant waiting area as the two of them sat down.
“They went to grab some lunch. They’ll bring me something. I just hate to leave, you know, in case something changes.”
“I understand.”
“Caroline was here for a while. And Janie said she’ll stop by later this afternoon. I’ve missed you guys.”
“Really? I just assumed you’d be so busy with your family that—”
“You guys are my family too,” Abby declared. “Oh, certainly, I love my daughters and my mom and my darling little Lucy. But you Lindas, well, I really need you a lot.”
“You know we’re here for you.”
Abby was looking over Marley’s shoulder. She stood. “I think the nurse is trying to get my attention.”
Marley walked with Abby toward the ICU. It did seem the nurse was motioning toward Abby. Hopefully nothing was wrong. Marley remained behind as Abby followed the nurse into the ICU. Feeling that something serious might be happening, Marley began to pray silently. She leaned up against a pillar and, with eyes closed and spirit focused, she asked God to intervene. She stood there a long time, just thinking about Abby and Paul and asking God to do something—something truly miraculous—and finally it was as if she ran out of steam. Feeling tired and slightly empty, Marley went over to the waiting area and sat down. She really had no idea exactly how this whole conversing-with-God thing went. It was still so very new to her. And yet she had a strong feeling that it was real.
After what seemed a long time—but was actually only about fifteen minutes—Abby returned, and she was smiling. “He’s awake,” Abby told Marley with wide eyes.
“Is he okay?”
“Well, it’s hard to say. He’s obviously been through a lot. But he could talk, and he knew me, and in some ways he seemed like his old self, only very weak. He got tired after just a few minutes of talking. The doctor came in—they’re going to get him ready for an angiogram. The doctor suspects Paul needs bypass surgery.”
“Bypass surgery?” Marley questioned. “I wonder why they didn’t do that as soon as he came in here.”
“The doctor said they had to stabilize him first. Otherwise he could’ve died on the operating table.”
“So is he strong enough for surgery now?”
“I don’t know. I’m just so glad he’s awake.” Abby hugged Marley. “I think you were right. I think he’s going to be okay. I really believe it now.”
Marley almost reminded Abby that Paul was not out of the woods yet, but then she wondered why she would make such a negative statement. Really, what was she thinking?
Of course, Marley knew exactly where her doubts had come from. It wasn’t something she liked to think about, but more than a dozen years ago, Marley’s father had undergone bypass surgery right here in this same hospital. Marley had flown down from Seattle to sit with her mom during the procedure. They had both kissed him on the cheek, assuring him that all was well, and then he was wheeled away.
That was the last time Marley saw her father alive. He bled to death several hours after the surgery was proclaimed “successful.” Marley had been furious with the doctor, who actually admitted to Marley’s mother that the shunt was too short.
Naturally, Marley had no intention of repeating any of this to Abby. But it did worry her, so much so that Marley began to doubt her earlier sense that Paul was going to be just fine. Before long, Abby was surrounded by family and everyone was so excited over this new turn of events that Marley began to feel like a wet blanket, so she excused herself and went to sit in the chapel, where she prayed some more.
A bit past two, Marley realized that she would need to leave to pick up Hunter, because she’d made a date to pick the little girl up from school. She explained this to Abby.
“Yes, by a
ll means go and get her,” Abby said with bright eyes. “The angiogram revealed blockage in three arteries. He’s scheduled for surgery at five.”
“Five today?”
Abby nodded. “Yes, isn’t it wonderful that they could do it so soon?”
Marley forced a smile. “Yes.” She squeezed Abby’s hand. “I’ll be praying for him.”
“Thank you!”
As Marley was leaving the hospital, she met Janie coming in. She quickly shared the latest news about Paul’s scheduled surgery. “I have to go pick up Jack’s granddaughter,” she explained, “but please keep me in the loop.”
“Absolutely.” Janie smiled. “That’s great news.”
“I’ll try to make it back here around six,” Marley promised. As she hurried on her way, she wondered if that was such a good idea. Really, it might be best if she kept a low profile throughout this part of the ordeal. Not that she thought her presence would change anything for Paul, but she didn’t want to open her mouth and unwittingly play the spoiler while everyone was feeling so hopeful.
As Marley drove to the grade school, she felt grateful that she’d arranged to spend this afternoon with Hunter. It would be a good distraction. Jack had already explained how to go to the office and sign her out. He’d also told Marley how Jasmine came home late on Sunday night, acting like leaving her child home alone was no big deal, like Hunter knew she should call her grandfather and that he would figure things out.
Naturally, Jack had been irritated by that. But he admitted that he had to go easy in regard to his unpredictable daughter. “Otherwise, she might grab Hunter and just take off,” he explained to Marley on the phone. “She’s said she wants to move to South America before.”
“That’s got to be frustrating,” Marley had told him.
“I’ll say.”
“But she’s okay with me picking up Hunter once a week?”
“Sure. In her mind, it’s free babysitting.”
“I’ll drop Hunter by the gallery before closing,” she had promised.
As she walked up to the grade school, she remembered when Ashton had been in school and all the time she’d spent volunteering or chauffeuring him around. It didn’t even seem that long ago. Although this was different, she still got a good feeling being here. The familiar musty smell of dust and floor polish and wet tennis shoes, and the sound of kids’ voices, actually made her smile. Before long, she and Hunter were on their way.
“What are we going to do?” Hunter asked expectantly.
Marley peered out at the gray sky, which looked like it was about to dump some rain. “What would you like to do?”
“Get ice cream.”
Marley chuckled. “Ice cream, huh?”
“Is that okay?”
“I don’t see why not. In fact, I’m in the mood for some ice cream myself.” So she drove down by the wharfs and parked in front of the old-fashioned ice cream shop, the same place her dad used to take her when she was about Hunter’s age. There, they both ordered one scoop of peppermint-candy ice cream on a sugar cone, then sat and slowly ate them.
“Do you like the arcade?” Marley asked as they finished.
Hunter’s big brown eyes got bigger as she eagerly nodded. “Yeah!”
“My dad used to take me there for a treat when I was little,” Marley told her. “I haven’t been there in years.”
“I never get to go there,” Hunter said. “My mommy hates it.”
“Oh?” Now Marley was unsure. “Hates it? Like she doesn’t want you to go there?”
“No,” Hunter said quickly. “She doesn’t like how noisy it is and that it costs money to play.”
“Oh.” Marley nodded. “Well, I can understand that. But sometimes it’s fun to be noisy.”
For the next hour they played the silly arcade games and then, when Marley’s ears were ringing, she suggested they find something quieter to do. “I’ve been wanting to get a library card,” she told Hunter. “Do you have one?”
“No. I think I’m too little.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Marley assured her. “I used to have one when I was about your age. Anyway, we can find out.”
At the library, they discovered that Hunter was not too young for her own card, but that she’d need her mom’s signature. So Marley got herself a card and checked out some books, both for her and Hunter, and then they took the paperwork with them back to the One-Legged Seagull, where it was just about closing time.
“Do we get to do this every week?” Hunter asked as they went inside the gallery.
“Well, not the same thing,” Marley said. “But we’ll do something fun. As long as you still want to and if your mom agrees.”
Jasmine came out from behind the counter now, stooping to hug Hunter. “Did you have fun with Marley?”
“Yeah.” Hunter smiled happily.
“Thanks for doing that,” Jasmine told Marley. “And thanks for having her on Sunday, too.”
Marley made what she hoped looked like a genuine smile, since she was still a bit irked that a mom could abandon her child like that. “Thank you for sharing her with me. Hunter is a delight.”
Jasmine ruffled Hunter’s red curls. “Sometimes she’s less of a delight.”
Marley just nodded. “I hope you don’t think I was snooping, but I noticed some of your drawings in your apartment.”
Jasmine looked a little uneasy. “You were in my apartment?”
“Grandpa said to let her in,” Hunter said.
“Sunday, to pick up Hunter,” Marley explained. “I saw your art, and it was really good, Jasmine. I’m surprised you don’t have some of it in here.”
Jasmine’s smile returned now. “Well, it’s not really finished … and not that good.”
“I thought it was good.”
“Well, thanks.”
“So anyway, I guess I’ll see you both at the Art Walk on Saturday,” Marley said brightly. “I better go home and get to work.”
“Thanks again,” Jasmine called and Hunter echoed. As Marley drove home, she thought about how spending an afternoon with a child was really good medicine. She decided then, for the sake of both Hunter and Jack, she would do everything possible to befriend Jasmine. It only made sense.
Chapter 29
Caroline
Caroline felt so out of it on Tuesday night. Everyone else was rallying around Abby in her time of need. But Caroline, as usual, was stuck at home with her cantankerous mom. At least she had Chuck to brighten things up and keep her company. Caroline was astonished at what a great companion this dog was turning out to be. Although they hadn’t been to the beach yet, she looked forward to the days when she would take him there—when her respite time wouldn’t be spent at the hospital with her friends.
Caroline had kept her word. Every time she thought about Paul, she prayed for him to recover. She also prayed for Abby and the rest of their family to be comforted throughout their ordeal. Caroline honestly had no idea which way this was going to go, but she knew it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that Paul wouldn’t make it. She wondered how Abby would get along without him. The Lindas would be there to help her. Also, Abby had Doris, a mother who was in her right mind—not something to be underestimated.
As Caroline tended to her mom, coaxing her to eat a little vanilla pudding and some Ritz crackers to make up for the barely touched dinner, she kept her phone in her sweatshirt pocket. Janie had promised to let Caroline know as soon as Paul came out of surgery.
But soon it was after seven and time to get her mom to bed. Thankfully she was worn out from being awake most of the day—something Caroline had asked Darlene to help her with—and as a result was fairly cooperative.
It was also helpful that the nurse from social services had secured a prescription for
Xanax last week, which was helping her mother sleep better throughout the night. Her suspicious mom wouldn’t willingly take any kind of pill, but Caroline had figured out a way to mash it and slip it into the last bite of pudding.
The trick after that was getting her mom into bed before she dozed off and made everything much more difficult. But Caroline’s routines were becoming more established, which it seemed her mom appreciated. Sometimes, like tonight, things went almost like clockwork. It wasn’t even eight by the time her mom was all tucked in. She’d had her last sip of water, and the plush white toy dog was tucked in next to her when Caroline turned off the light and tiptoed out.
Chuck was waiting eagerly for her in the hallway. She made herself a cup of cocoa, and with the baby monitor in hand and her cell phone still in her pocket, she and Chuck went out to the backyard. She sat beneath awning while Chuck roamed around, sniffing the grass and doing his business, which she would clean up tomorrow.
As usual, she wondered how long she could keep this up. She knew that there were no real rules in regard to Alzheimer’s. Even when the hospice nurse had stopped by to do an evaluation, she had seemed unsure as to what stage Caroline’s mother was really at. Of course, her mom had been having a fairly good day and actually remembered some things that surprised Caroline. But that wasn’t a typical day, which Caroline pointed out. Certainly, she wished her mom always functioned at that level. Wouldn’t life be much easier if she did? The hospice nurse promised to come back to check her again in two weeks. And that, to Caroline, seemed sufficient.
She jumped to hear her phone ringing in her pocket. Fumbling to set down her cocoa, she finally extracted it and answered.
“He’s out of surgery,” Janie told her.
“And is he okay?”
“The doctor just told Abby that the prognosis is good.”
“Oh, good.” Caroline sighed in relief. “Very, very good.”
Hometown Ties Page 26