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She and Morgan talked about a few other details, including the signed and notarized temporary guardianship papers Morgan had been wise enough to provide that would allow Hannah to seek necessary medical care or communicate with the children’s teachers if needed.

“I’ll see you all in the morning,” Hannah said when the three were ready to leave.

“Thank you,” Morgan said again.

“That’s the last time I want to hear you say that,” Hannah said with mock censure.

Morgan gave a small smile. “Too bad, because I believe I’ll be saying it a great deal over the next two months.”

Hannah let them out. When she closed the door behind the three of them, she sat on the sofa and was immediately assailed by her two cats.

“I hope we’re ready for this,” she said out loud to Ludwig and Elise.

Ready or not, the children would be there the next day. She suspected nothing in her life would be the same.

Chapter 8

“You don’t have to wash my dishes.”

Wes’s sister, Kelsey, frowned as she carried in another armload of serving bowls from the dining room and set them next to the sink where he stood. “Why don’t you go in and watch the game?”

“I don’t mind,” Wes answered. “I’m not that interested in this game anyway. The next one is a different story. Besides, if I didn’t cook the meal, I have to help you clean up. Those were always the rules when we were growing up, weren’t they, Mom?”

Their mother, sitting at the cluttered kitchen table beading string necklaces with her grandchildren, gave a distant smile but didn’t answer.

Susie Kenner wasn’t having a bad day, precisely, but she also wasn’t engaging with them as she sometimes did.

As always, he hated making the mental comparison between this quiet, vague shell of a woman and one who had orchestrated the busy, chaotic, joy-filled holidays of his youth.

He knew he should be grateful he and Kelsey still had their mother with them in any capacity, especially when they didn’t have their father. But sometimes he wondered if doctors had done her any favors by working so tirelessly to save her life back then.

He pushed away the thought, feeling guilty for it. Things would never be the same for his mom but she still enjoyed a happy, contented life.

“Thanks for dinner, sis,” he said as he scrubbed a serving platter. “It was delicious. Best turkey I’ve had in a long time.”

“It’s probably the only one you’ve had in a long time, isn’t it?”

“Maybe,” he admitted.

“It’s really lovely having you. It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve all been together for Thanksgiving. I’m so glad you were able to come to Shelter Springs for the holidays, even if I’m not thrilled about the reason you were able to get away.”

He glanced at their grandfather, who was watching a football game in the living room with Kelsey’s husband. Stanley still didn’t know the truth about Wes’s injury.

“It’s good to be here,” he said and was surprised that the words weren’t completely a lie. He would always consider Shelter Springs his hometown, even with all the tough memories.

“And it’s nice to have Mom here,” he went on. “Are you able to take her on outings from the care center as often as you were in Portland?”

“Whenever we want. The center has a very liberal visitation policy. But she actually seems to prefer being there.”

“She’s liking it, then?” He rinsed the platter and set it in the dish tray. His sister picked it up automatically and began drying it.

“I think so. It’s impossible to know completely, right? She’s not exactly chatty, as you know. But the staff there is amazing. They seem to genuinely care about each of their clients.”

“That’s good.”

Kelsey took a large bowl from the dish drainer and swiped the cloth around it. “I really hope we did the right thing by moving her here.”

“It was the best choice for your family. And by extension, for Mom,” he assured her.