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“I wondered if it’s too late to come over tonight. I found some yearbook pages you might be interested in seeing.”
“Yearbook, did you say?” Sam set a bookmark in the book he’d been reading. “I haven’t seen any yearbooks around for years.”
“I found this at the library,” Wyatt said. “Well, we did. I’m with Anita and Carly.”
Sam wasn’t sure he was catching on to what Wyatt was trying to tell him. “Why are you with them at the library?”
“I can explain everything when we get there.”
Sam glanced at the clock on the wall just above the bookcase. He was usually in bed with his book by nine o’clock as opposed to in his chair with his book right before that. His eyes were already tired, and Wyatt sounded like he had more hours in him.
“How about tomorrow after dinner?” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
There was a pause and some hushed conversation on the other end of the line.
“Wyatt?”
“Oh yes, sorry. That will be fine. We’ll see you tomorrow at six thirty.”
After hanging up with Wyatt, Sam picked up his book again, but his mind wouldn’t focus on the words. He should have asked his grandson which yearbook he’d found. Was it the one that had Susan in the pictures, or was it the following year, when her missing presence was like a black hole in his heart?
A few more moments passed as he let his memories return. The Spring Fling dance had been their one and only date. Sure, they’d spent time together every chance they had, but after the dance, life had become a whirlwind of Susan’s family preparing to move. Sam had volunteered to help them pack their things and set up what they wanted to leave behind at a rummage sale. He remembered feeling like although Susan hadn’t left yet, he already missed her. He didn’t know at the time that he’d never see her again, that their letters would be the only connection that would remain after their childhood spent together.
Sam rose from his chair and went through his bedtime routine. If he took things slowly, he could do everything on his own. He wasn’t at the point where one of the aides had to help him change his clothing or wash up. Climbing into bed, he left his book on the nightstand, still bookmarked.
He didn’t need to read to fall asleep tonight. He had plenty of memories to sort through. But mostly he wondered how Susan was doing after all these years. If her marriage had been happy. If her children were well. And did she have grandchildren?
“Mr. Davis? Time for your morning medications.”
Sam opened his eyes, surprised to see that his room glowed with morning sunlight. He’d slept through the entire night without waking up once.
Ginny smiled down at him. “Sleep well?”
“I...” He cleared his throat. “I slept like the dead. What time is it and where am I?”
Thankfully, Ginny was used to his quips. She laughed and held out a glass of water and a small paper cup of pills. He moved to one elbow and took the pills, then swallowed down some water.
While he remained in bed for a few more minutes, Ginny bustled about the room. She emptied the garbage, folded the throw on his recliner, straightened a few books on the bookshelf.
Once Sam felt awake enough to get out of bed, he pushed back the covers, then swung his legs over the edge.
“How are you feeling?” Ginny asked.
“Fine.” And he did feel fine. Well-rested. No headache. No vertigo. The only thing he noticed was his stomach rumbling. “Hungry.”
She smiled. “We can head to breakfast as soon as you’re ready.”
Sam knew if he’d complained about anything, then Ginny would have offered to bring his breakfast on a tray. But she was also of the mind that if he had the physical strength, then he should have breakfast in the dining room. “You need to stay social,” she’d told him more than once.
She brought over the walker, and although Sam didn’t like to use it in his bedroom, previous incidents had shown him that his legs and balance were not always reliable first thing in the morning.
He grasped the handle and pushed to his feet. So far, so good. “My grandson is visiting tonight after dinner,” he said, “so I’ll be staying in the dining room for that.”
“I’ll leave a message for tonight’s staff,” Ginny said.
Sam nodded and headed into the bathroom. He shut the door, but didn’t lock it. In fact, the door didn’t lock in case there was some sort of emergency. He washed up, then spent a moment studying his face in the mirror. He’d have to ask for a shave today, though his whiskers didn’t grow as fast as they used to. He only made the request a couple times a week.
A memory flashed through his mind of when Susan first noticed he was growing stubble. She’d teased him about it and then asked to feel his jaw.
