"I… don't understand." The stone pulsed warmly against Mandy's fingertips.
"You don't need to understand." Jacinth's smile held secrets. "You need only accept that sometimes gifts come to us when we most need them."
"But-"
"No buts." Jacinth's tone remained gentle but firm. "The necklace is yours now. That's all there is to it."
Mandy opened her mouth to protest again, but something in Jacinth's expression made the words die in her throat. The woman's determination to give her this gift was absolute, and somehow Mandy knew that further protests would be futile.
Instead, she whispered, "Thank you. It's the most beautiful thing anyone has ever given me."
With a charming smile, Jacinth turned away once more, her silk clothing rustling softly as she moved. This time she didn't look back, and within moments she'd vanished around a corner, leaving Mandy alone with her thoughts and the warmth of the mysterious pendant against her skin.
A throat cleared nearby. "Mrs. Dupont?"
Mandy looked up to find a doctor standing beside her gurney, frowning as he studied her chart. His salt-and-pepper hair and wire-rimmed glasses gave him a professorial air.
"How long have you been out here?" He flipped through the pages, his frown deepening. "Four hours? That's unacceptable."
"I know it's been busy for you all this morning." Excusing the ER personnel came instinctively to her lips.
"Still." He shook his head. "Back pain of this severity should never wait this long. I see you have a history of spinal stenosis?"
"Yes. I always have a low baseline pain, but it can usually be managed without medication, but this morning it froze up..." She trailed off, remembering the helpless feeling of being trapped in her own bed.
"I'm going to order an injection. It should help with both the immediate pain and give you some relief for a few days." He made some notes on her chart. "We'll need you to stay for at least thirty minutes afterward to monitor for any adverse reactions. Did you drive yourself here?"
"No, I came by ambulance. I'll call an Uber to get home."
"Good." He nodded approvingly. "The shot will make you a bit woozy - driving wouldn't be safe." He patted her shoulder. "The nurse will be here in a few minutes with the injection. I'm sorry you had to wait so long."
"Thank you." Mandy watched him stride away, her fingers still absently stroking the mysterious pendant. The stone's warmth seemed to pulse in time with her heartbeat, and somehow the pain in her back didn't feel quite as sharp as before.
The Uber driverpulled up to the curb outside Mandy's apartment building. She eased herself out of the back seat, murmuring her thanks. The shot had fully kicked in during the ride home, and while her back no longer screamed in agony, exhaustion weighed heavily.
Thank goodness she had a ground floor apartment. She fumbled with her purse, trying to get her keys out with one hand, while keeping hold of her cane with the other, the pendant at her throat still radiating that strange, comforting warmth. Getting the key in the door finally, the lock clicked, and she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"I'm home!" she called out softly. Two sets of paws thundered across the hardwood floor as Mozart and Bach, her beloved orange tabbies, came racing to greet her.
"Hey, babies." She kicked off her shoes by the door, wiggling her toes in relief. "I'm sorry I was gone so long."
Bach wound between her ankles while Mozart sat at attention, both cats vocalizing their not-so-happy opinions about having not been fed first thing that morning.
"Yes, yes, I know you're starving. I'm the absolute worst cat mom in the history of cat moms." After propping her cane in the corner behind the door, Mandy headed toward the kitchen, her cats leading the way like furry tour guides. "Heaven forbid you should have to wait until noon for breakfast. Never mind that your automatic feeder gives you all-you-can-eat kibble."
The familiar routine of opening a can of wet food and dividing it between two bowls settled something inside her. The cats dove into their morning snack while she filled her electric kettle and pulled her favorite orange pekoe tea from the cabinet.
While the water heated, she leaned against the counter, her fingers finding the pendant again. The stone's warmth pulsed against her palm, and she wondered about the mysterious Jacinth. The whole encounter felt dreamlike now, as if she'd imagined the elegant woman with her musical voice and gentle wisdom.
The kettle clicked off. She poured the steaming water over her tea bag, breathing in the soothing aroma as she added in a spoonful of sugar. Cradling the warm mug, she made her way to her recliner.
Mandy sank into her recliner, fumbling for the remote control. Adjusting the back and footrest, she sighed in relief as her body settled into a more comfortable position. Finished with their oh-so-late breakfast, Mozart immediately claimed her lap, while Bach perched on the arm of the chair, watching her with regal dignity. The familiar silky texture of Mozart's long, thick fur under her fingers, Bach's rumbling purr, combined with the comfort of being home in her favorite chair, began to ease away the tension of the long hours in the ER.
The warmth from the tea seeped into her chest as she took another sip. Her eyelids grew heavier with each passing moment, the Demerol from the ER spreading its foggy tendrils through her mind. The mug tilted dangerously in her grip, and she forced her eyes open, setting it carefully on the side table before she could spill it.
"I know it's only afternoon," she murmured to her cats, her words starting to slur slightly. "But Mama needs to go to bed before she falls asleep right here."
Mozart chirped in protest as she gently displaced him from her lap. She used the remote to return the chair to its upright position, her movements growing more uncoordinated by the second.
