I smile down at my phone.
Mallory
Thanks for watching! It was a good win.
Dad
Holland looked great out there. You should be proud.
Aunt Jo
You looked better.
Mallory
Very funny.
Aunt Jo
Where’s the lie?
My aunt is my biggest fan, right alongside my parents. Aunt Jo is my dad’s little sister, and the significant age gap between the two of them makes her feel more like an older cousin or sister to me than an aunt. We’re only eight years apart. She’s lived with my parents for the past few years, helping out since my mom’s diagnosis. Aunt Jo has always been my best friend, and we’ve only grown closer since then.
What’s that they always say about relationships being forged by fire?
Mallory
Even if I don’t believe you, thank you.
Dad
You coming home before the Grand Masters?
Mallory
That’s the plan!
Mom
I’m immediately sobered by that tiny little woman in the red dress. Mom used tolovedancing. She and Dad would go swing dancing every week. They made the handsomest couple, Dad with his broad shoulders and tucked-in flannel shirts, and Mom with her slim build and long, graceful lines. Thursday Night Swing was their favorite hobby. But that all got snatched away when Mom’s limbs started tingling, and she began losing her balance out of nowhere.
We were all terrified, and after a plethora of invasive tests, a diagnosis came down: Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, or CIDP. Those four letters look so innocuous written out, but they’ve brought with them lifestyle changes I couldn’t have fathomed for my parents two years ago.
Mallory
Good day or bad day, Mom?
Mom
Every day’s a good day, Mal.
Mallory
Be honest.
Mom
