‘So, we will take her for her MRI now,’ the doctor said gently.
‘OK,’ said Carlotta, unsure of what to say to her silent mother.
As the doctor went to leave the room, Violetta looked up at him. ‘Excuse me, what’s your name? I don’t think you told us.’
‘Jeff, Jeff Carson.’ She noticed a tiny blush creep up his neck.
Violetta smiled at him. ‘I’m glad Mom has you, Doctor Jeff.’
She turned back and the sisters all stood by their mother’s bed.
‘So, no fighting by her bed, OK?’ said Violetta.
‘OK,’ said Grace.
‘Absolutely,’ agreed Carlotta.
‘Somebody needs to ring Spencer,’ said Violetta.
Spencer was their mother’s lawyer and Birdie’s childhood friend and lived in Georgia. Their relationship with him was the most significant they had with any man and he stepped in where Leon had failed them.
Spencer and Birdie had grown up together. He came from a long line of wealthy lawyers and he had been Birdie’s lawyer since the day she married Leon. Spencer and Birdie were betrothed at the cradle, Birdie had told them, but then she met Leon and all plans were thrown out the window.
Whether Spencer had harboured any feelings for Birdie, her daughters didn’t know, but he was a gentle and loving influence in their lives. Never married, he blew in and out of the de Santoval women’s lives when he came up from Atlanta and took them to the theatre in New York or to Economy Candy for shopping sprees, where he would buy them all the candy they wanted.
Leon hated him and claimed Spencer was still in love with Birdie. The sisters had their suspicions that Leon was right, but as far as they knew nothing had ever happened between Birdie and Spencer besides a longstanding friendship.
‘I’ll call,’ said Grace, desperate to get away from the machines and her sisters.
She walked away, heading back to the waiting room.
A small knock came from the door and a nurse and porter came in to take their mother for her MRI. Violetta and Carlotta stood against the wall to make room for them as they unhooked her and attached the monitors to the bed.
‘Be careful with her,’ snapped Carlotta to the nurse, as she watched her lift her mother’s head to adjust the wires.
‘We are always careful with our patients,’ said the nurse, her hackles rising.
‘Well, be extra careful with her, OK?’ said Carlotta, her hands on her hips.
The nurse looked at Violetta who made an apologetic face as the nurse wheeled Birdie from the room.
‘You have to be nicer to the staff, Carlotta,’ Violetta said.
‘Why? They need reminding who she is. She isn’t just some woman in a bed, she’s our mother.’
‘I think they know that. You aren’t going to get her treated any better by being an asshole,’ said Violetta, crossing her arms and sitting on a chair.
Carlotta slumped down the wall and sat on the floor. ‘What a disaster,’ she said.
‘I know,’ agreed Violetta.
‘What are we going to do now?’ asked Carlotta.
‘I have no idea.’
Grace walked back into the room. ‘Spencer had already heard from Thea. He’s on his way, his secretary told me he will be here by this evening.’
The sisters were silent and then Grace spoke. ‘I’m sorry I was a bitch,’ she said quietly.
