“I think there was a paper card you put in and maybe a handle to punch? Or it punched a hole? I’m not that old either.”
She laughed. “Right. Got you logged in.” The terms of my parole meant my hours had to be confirmed by the nursing home staff at both sites. I was glad Kashira made it no big deal. “Now I have some options for you today. Lots of residents don’t get regular visitors and some of them aren’t interested in our group activities or are confined to their beds.” She pulled out a list. “Here. Reading aloud to Mary. Playing checkers with Tom.” She leaned my way and lowered her voice. “He cheats, but pretend you don’t notice. He gets a kick out of being sneaky, and there’s not much else makes him smile these days.”
“I can do that. Although my checkers skills are rusty.”
“Even better. He’ll enjoy winning. Then showing a video for Lisa. She can’t work a remote and needs to take breaks for her eyes. You stop it when she asks and then start it again when she’s ready. And a crossword for Mr. Harrington. His eyesight isn’t up to it but he’s sharp as can be. He’ll be answering the clues fasterthan you can read them. And most of our folk like to chat. A little time with someone new is a treat.”
“I can do that.” I took the list she held out, noting that she’d written down where to find books and checkers and crosswords. Impressively organized. “How do I know whether to call a resident by their last name or their first?”
“Look at their door whiteboard, hon. We encourage first names. It’s homier, more like family. But some of our folks, they prefer the respect of Mr. or Mrs. so we do what they want.”
“Makes sense.” I stood and hesitated.Don’t ask about Lee. Don’t.“What about the nursing staff. I don’t want to be in anyone’s way. Is there a schedule?”Will I run into him?
“If they need you to move, they’ll let you know. Can’t be shy and work this job.”
“Right. Of course.” Lee had never been shy. “I’ll go, um, start reading then.”
The morning passed more quickly than I expected. Mary was halfway through a Tony Hillerman book I was almost sorry to set aside when her half hour was done. She made me promise to come back tomorrow and I did. I would let Kashira know that needed to be one of tomorrow’s list items.
Tom was a roly-poly Santa of a guy with a wicked gaze, and a fast left hand. I saw him move a piece illegally once but pretended not to. My skills were bad enough he won fair and square three times.
He huffed. “Letting the old guy win, huh? Where’s the dignity in that?”
“No letting about it.” I stared down at my decimated pieces. “I suck at this game. Maybe you should give me some pointers instead.”
That brightened his expression and I sat through fifteen minutes of a checkers lesson with as little fidgeting as I could manage.
The end of my morning was twenty minutes away and I was reading to Carol, who appeared to have fallen asleep, when a voice I’d never forgotten said behind me, “Griffin?”
I put a bookmark in the novel, set it aside, took one breath, and turned.
Lee stood in the doorway wearing blue scrubs and black sneakers, a stethoscope draped around his neck. He gestured to me to follow him, and I eased away from Carol’s bedside. Ten feet down the hall, Lee stopped at the empty nursing station and leaned an elbow on the counter, his eyes on me. “So, here we are.”
“Um, yeah.” I tried a tentative smile, then let it die when he didn’t smile back. “How’ve you been? You’re looking good.”
He huffed like he thought I was lying, but said, “I’m fine.”
“You work here now?”Oh, that was smooth.
Sure enough, his lips twitched and he flicked the stethoscope. “Wow, you figured that out?”
“I just meant…” I let the words die because I just meant I had no clue how to talk to Lee right now. “It’s good to see you.”
His expression didn’t lighten. “We should probably talk.”
“I can ask my parole officer if there’s a way to change the home I’m doing my hours in,” I offered.
Lee waved me off. “Having you here has already brought us some publicity, and we have more visitors today than a normal workday.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, that’s good. If folks are coming to see their family members in the hope of a Griffin Marsh moment, that still means they’re visiting. A side benefit. And Tom told me you’re the worst checkers player he’s met in the last ten years with an ear-to-ear grin.”
“You’re enjoying my humiliation,” I mock-grumbled before thinking that might be too friendly for how we were now.
But Lee smiled. “You bet your ass I am.” Then his cheer faded. “You’re off in half an hour, right? Do they give you a lunch break?”
“Two hours. I have to get a bus to the other residence.”
