It was my dad’s favorite comfort food.Mine too.He’d insisted on Nana teaching my mom and me how to make it. I grabbed a package of frozen meat out of the freezer and placed it in the fridge.
Nana almost dropped her blue rose teacup when another coughing fit struck.
Another piece of my heart cracked. Watching her slowly fade before my eyes would destroy me, but I’d heard such awful things about low budget homes for sick elderly people that I couldn’t bear the thought of putting her in the only home I could afford.
Knowing I couldn’t go to work with Nana like this, I called Mary.
Saturdays were busy at the shop, so calling off would leave Mary in a bind.
“I understand.”
“Please don’t fire me,” I begged as the tears broke free and rolled down my cheeks.
“Nina, I would never fire you for taking care of your grandmother.”
“But I’ve had to call off more often.”
After a pause, Mary asked, “If you’d like, I could ask Matt to stay with your grandmother?”
Would he do that? Would Nana be okay with him, a stranger, in her house?How do I explain why he’s here?
My emotional energy tank was dry as a bone, and as selfish as it sounded, I didn’t want to stay home all day wallowing in self pity while watching my grandmother cough up a lung.
At least at work, I’d have people to talk to and plenty of tasks to keep me busy. And I could check on Nana throughout the day, to keep my worry at bay.
“Do you think he’d mind?”
“No, and he has medical training, so he’ll be handy if anything happens.”
I didn’t think his military medical training would help him deal with her cancer, but I was desperate to accept Mary’s lifeline.
“Does he know how to care for a cancer patient?” I asked awkwardly. It wasn’t like he had to perform surgery or give her a chemo. He’d basically do what I’d done, but if Nana was extra weak, he’d have to help her around the house.
“Why don’t I text him and ask him to go inside so you can talk to him?”
I gave my default—I’m too fucking tired to argue anymore—response.The one Austin hates. “Okay.”
Knowing I sounded rude and ungrateful and that Mary deserved better, I added, “Thank you, Mary.”
Two minutes later, a soft knock sounded at the door. As I approached, I heard Matt say, “It’s Matt.”
I still double checked before opening the door.
“Hey, Mary said your grandmother is having a rough day.”
“She’s having severe coughing attacks,” I admitted.
“Right.” He nodded, looking towards the kitchen where my grandmother sat staring at the small TV on the counter. “I’d be happy to stay with her so you can go to work.”
When he noticed my hesitation, Matt said, “We’ll be fine.” His soft smile did more to put me at ease than his words. “Why don’t you introduce us and let me handle the rest.”
“Okay,” I whispered as my head bobbed up and down.
Matt followed me to the kitchen.
“Nana Sue, I’d like you to meet someone.”
She turned, looking less pale than she had earlier.That’s a good sign. Maybe it’d be okay to leave her with Matt.
