“Anyway, I’m a nurse, remember? I do this kind of thing all the time.”
“Not to your own mother. Next I’ll be in diapers and you’ll be changing those.”
“Hey, let’s not rush things,” Arianna said.
Mia smiled at her. It was a grateful smile but trimmed with sadness and embarrassment. “I don’t know what I did to deserve such a wonderful daughter.”
“How about being a wonderful mother?”
A mother she didn’t want to lose.Oh, no. Don’t think that.
“No tears,” Mia said sternly.
“No tears,” Arianna repeated, and blinked them back.
“Who were the flowers from?”
Here was a much more pleasant subject. “Our neighbor.”
“Alden?”
Arianna nodded.
“What a sweet man.”
“Yes, he is,” Arianna agreed.
“I think he’s interested in you.”
“No, he’s not. He’s simply trying to make us feel better.”
“Us? Was thatushe was on the couch with last night?”
“Only because you went to bed. It didn’t mean anything,” Arianna insisted.
“It could. You never know. Just be open, darling.”
Just be open. Did she dare?
CHRISTMAS
IN MARCH
12
February celebrating was over and it was time to fill a new month with Christmas spirit.
“What are you planning for Christmas in March?” Mia asked as Arianna inserted the formula into her feeding tube.
“I’m not planning anything,” Arianna replied. “We’ve got too much going on.”
“Too much going on to take time to enjoy life?” Mia cocked an eyebrow.
“Yes, as a matter of fact.” As if Arianna could enjoy anything at this point.
Mia laid a hand on her arm. “Darling. Please. Don’t do this.”
“What?”
