“What?” Andrea and Cora gasped simultaneously.
Jo lifted her head to look at her sisters, her expression pained. “We were in the living room watching a game show, and she started laughing. I thought it was because the host had given a joke and she enjoyed it but then she wouldn’t stop, and she started crying immediately afterward, just like she’d done our last Sunday get-together. When I went to check on her, her hand was curled in on itself, and I couldn’t pry it open. It was so stiff,” she whispered the last sentence. “When I tried to get her to stand up to take her to her room, she couldn’t move.” Jo looked at her sisters, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. “It was like she was paralyzed from the waist down. I panicked at first, but then I gave her the medication the doctors prescribed. It took more than an hour to get her up the stairs after that.”
Andrea sighed, saddened by her sister’s revelation. “We need to get her to the ground floor,” she expressed. “Also, I think it’s time we considered buying one of the full electric hospital beds and possibly consider getting her a motorized scooter.”
The others nodded their agreement.
Another pause ensued.
“I know we have to accept what is going to happen soon, but it doesn’t make it any easier especially knowing that she has to suffer in so much pain during the process.”
“I’m just glad that Rory will be having her wedding here so mom can get to attend. I think that will do so much for her.”
“Yeah. I’m glad too,” Cora responded.
“This is what we need these moments for new memories. It can’t make up for the ones we lost, but at least mom will get to feel how much we love her.”
“What’s wrong?” Cora asked, noticing that Andrea wore a far-off look.
She turned to look at the sister. “I don’t know…It feels like there is something going on with Rory that she’s not telling me about, and I’m worried. She doesn’t seem herself. I’ve been worried since she told me that she wanted to take a break from work.”
“What do you think it might be?” Josephine asked.
“Whatever it is, I think it has a lot to do with James,” she revealed her suspicions.
The sisters turned to look at her attentively, waiting for further explanation.
“About a week ago, I heard her on the phone with James. She was telling him that either they have the wedding here in Oak Harbor or they don’t have it all. When I questioned her about it, she said his mother wanted them to have the wedding in San Francisco— that she insisted that they should get married in San Fran. I told her that it was a decision for her and James to make. She was worried that they weren’t on the same page, though.” Andrea sighed. “It just feels like there is a whole lot more to this story than she’s letting on.”
Her sisters reached out to give her arm a reassuring squeeze.
“I think I should find out from James what’s wrong.”
“Drea…” Cora spoke with caution. “I don’t think that’s wise.”
“But what else is there to do? I’m not going to get the answers from her,” she reasoned.
“I know how you feel, Drea. The helplessness of it all. I remember I wanted to reach Julia to find out why and how she got pregnant. I wanted to go to Washington State and speak to her friends to find out what happened, but I had to clamp down on my desire to get to the bottom of it all and just trust that she’ll tell me when she’s ready. Dealing with Jules is like handling fragile glassware. The tiniest mistake leads to breaks and lost trust.” Cora released a long breath. “I keep wondering if I could have prevented what happened instead of being judgmental and trying to get her to march to my tune instead of her own. I should have listened more.” Cora sighed defeatedly.
“She still hasn’t told you who the father is?” Andrea asked.
“No,” Cora replied. “She changes the subject every time I ask.”
Andrea gave her sister a sympathetic look.
“Tracy and I are enjoying a more open relationship,” Jo chimed in. “Since everything her father had been doing came to light and I explained why I hid it from her, we have been doing much better.”
“That’s good news. I’m happy for you, Jo,” Andrea congratulated. “I wish it had worked for Rory and me. It’s like even though I know she has forgiven me for lying about her father that there is still a slight wedge between us. There has never been a time that she’s kept anything from me.”
“Don’t give up. Just continue showing her that you’re there for her,” Jo encouraged.
Andrea nodded.
The sisters left to go back to the house. Andrea sat thinking over all they’d shared with her. She knew they were probably right that she shouldn’t try to call her son-in-law to find out what was happening, but she needed answers. It felt like if she waited too long to get the answers, it would be too late.
Reaching into her pants pocket, she took out her phone and dialed James. He answered on the second ring.
“Hello?”
