“Mom’s taking a nap, but she’ll be down in the afternoon. You can greet her then.”
Rory nodded her agreement.
Rory followed her mother upstairs to her room and freshened up. Andrea was seated on the chaise by the bed when Rory exited the bathroom.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Yes,” Andrea replied immediately. “David’s lawyer called.” Rory blinked back her surprise as she waited for her mother to continue. “He said your sister and brother would like to meet you.”
“Why didn’t he call me? He has my number, and I spoke with him a few days ago.” Rory couldn’t keep the annoyance out of her tone.
Andrea drew in a breath and released it before replying to her daughter’s query. “Maybe it was an oversight or something different altogether. I’ll make sure to tell him that all further correspondence goes only to you.”
“Mom…I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right.” Rory felt bad for snapping at her. The hurt that flashed in her mother’s blue eyes filled her with guilt. “I didn’t mean to be so harsh. I don’t know what came over me,” she added.
Andrea smiled reassuringly. “It’s fine. In truth, I should have directed him to you.”
Rory inclined her head in acknowledgment, but she still felt bad about her reaction earlier. Reaching up, she removed the barrette holding the two braids she’d put her hair in. Her scalp needed liberation.
“Let me help you with that.”
Rory walked over to her mother and plopped down on the soft, plush carpet before her mother. Andrea reached for one of the braids and began unraveling it by running her finger through the interwoven strands.
“I don’t know if I want to meet them,” she revealed after her mother had gotten started on the second braid.
“It’s entirely up to you, sweetie. You can take your time to think about it. You don’t have to rush to do anything right now.”
Rory smiled appreciatively.
“Let’s talk about something else,” Andrea offered. “How is your job?”
“It’s great. The children are wonderful.” A warm smile came to her lips as she thought about them.
“I’m happy that you love what you do, sweetie,” Andrea spoke sincerely.
“I do,” she agreed. A purr of satisfaction left her lips as her mother massaged her scalp. “That feels so good.”
“So how did that son-in-law of mine take the news that you’d be leaving him on his own for a while?”
The question caught Rory off guard and her heart hammered against her chest. “Um, he’s…he’s fine with it. He understood that I needed some time away,” she answered carefully.
“That’s…thoughtful. Is he planning on visiting before the week of the wedding?”
“James is very busy, Mom. He’s got a high-profile case that he’s working on, so I doubt that,” she expressed.
Sweat pooled in her palms, and she prayed her mother’s questions about James would stop.
There was a long pause as Andrea continued to run her fingers through her hair. “I’m happy you have each other.”
Rory couldn’t respond.
“What are you going to do about Grandma Becky?”
Andrea’s fingers stilled. She released a low, shaky breath.
“We’re still thinking about the best option, but we’re already sourcing the equipment for assisted living.”
“Does grandma know that the disease is spreading rapidly?”
