“Oh!” she exclaimed, holding her arm closer to her body. “It hurts to laugh.”
Audrey immediately looked stricken and lowered her phone “I’m sorry. I should have thought.”
“Don’t apologize, honey. It’s hilarious. I’m glad you showed me. People are so creative, aren’t they?”
“Yeah. My friends and I want to take the Secret Elf challenge.”
“What’s that one?”
“You take video of yourself secretly dropping off cookies or a little Christmas gift at the house of someone who might need a lift.”
“That sounds very nice.”
“Anonymously, of course. You’re not supposed to give away any identifying details, like address numbers or what the house looks like.”
“Naturally,” Diane said.
“I even know whose house I want to take it to. My friend Megan. Her parents are in the middle of an ugly divorce, which sucks at Christmas.”
“That is tough,” Diane said.
They visited for a few more moments but Ryan could tell Diane was tiring. She made the occasional grimace he doubted she was even aware of and occasionally lost the thread of the conversation, staring off into space instead.
He stood up. “We should go. We still have to pick up Audrey’s things from her neighbor.”
Diane smiled, though he saw the lines of pain bracketing her mouth. “Thank you for coming. You’ve lifted my day.”
“Is there anything we can help you with before we go?”
He expected polite denials. Instead, his father stood also.
“Diane should be back in her bed. It’s the most comfortable place for her, but she insists on getting up and coming out here as much as she can.”
“I like it out here. And I’m not very good at laying around in bed for hours at a time.” She nodded toward the screen. “What about the movie?”
“We can finish watching another day. Or we can always catch the ending on the TV in the bedroom,” Doug answered, before turning back to Ryan.
“Since you’re here, I could use help getting her back into our room. I can handle it on my own but as you’re here, it’s probably safer to have two of us for her to lean on.”
That was also something new, his father actually asking for help. “Absolutely.”
Audrey pushed over a folding wheelchair from the corner of the room while Diane worked the controls of her recliner, which Ryan noticed had a lift function.
“That’s handy,” he said.
“Isn’t it?” Diane said, with a smile that turned into another grimace. “We were able to rent it from a medical supply company, with help from the hospital social workers. I feel ancient using it, though I must admit it’s convenient.”
“We also rented a hospital bed and moved it into our bedroom, since we have plenty of space in there. When she needs a different position, it’s adjustable and also height adjustable so it’s much easier for her to get in and out.”
“I would rather sleep in my own bed, but your father’s right. For now, the hospital bed makes sense.”
Not sure of his role, Ryan stood by as his father guided Diane into the wheelchair then pushed her down a short hallway to their bedroom, a large space that contained a largeking-size bed as well as a sitting area near the stone fireplace.
The bed had been pushed to one side and the sofa removed. In its place was a hospital bed covered with pillows and a coordinating quilt.
“How can I help?” he finally asked as his father moved his wife’s wheelchair next to the bed.
“This is the tricky part. She has to pivot a little and I’m always worried she’ll fall. Just stand close to provide support if she needs it.”
