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Shaking her head, her smile widens even larger.
“I have another surprise too,” I tell her as I hold out my hand for her to grasp to pull her carefully onto her feet. Mom wobbles a little, and I catch her around the waist, frowning slightly.
Maybe she is a little medicated. “Oh?” she asks, continuing to smile and ignoring her unsteadiness.
For her, I’ll ignore it too.“Mmhmm. I saw you looking outside. Want to go for a walk?”
A small line appears on her forehead as she stares at me. “Is that allowed?” It doesn’t escape my attention how softly she speaks, how small she makes herself, as if she’s scared to take up space.
My mother has always been self-assured, confident, and brave. Even when she was staying out of my father’s way, even as she moved out to live with my aunt. Dropping the blanket in my hands on her chair, I glance over at Nurse Imelda, who hasn’t moved.
“Will this be safe here?” I ask with a raised brow.
Nodding quickly, she looks at the blanket. “Yes, that’s her chair, no one sits there other than her. It’s her favorite,” she quickly says.
It’s sad that my mother has been here so long that she has a favorite chair. Looking back at my mom, I force my smile to return. “I brought you your favorite blanket from Aunt Rose’s. Is that okay?”
“Yes,” she breathes, nodding. I hope she’ll open up to me once we’re away from prying eyes. God, I’ve really missed her.
“Perfect, let’s take our walk, shall we?” Turning slowly, I curve her arm in mine, grateful for the tight grip she has. Mom still has some fight in her.
Nurse Imelda inclines her head, asking me to follow her, and I do. The gray and blue decor continue as we walk, and I wonder where it becomes cold and sterile. It won’t be any of the public areas I’m welcome in, I’m sure.
There’s a glass door which opens to the gardens, but it only slides open with a pass card swipe. Nurse Imelda opens the door with a nervous smile.
“You have it from here? Or do you need me to go out with you?” she asks.
I certainly do not want her outside with me.
“No, nurse, I’ve got it from here. I want to let her stretch her legs, and then we’ll probably find a shady spot to sit,” I tell her.
A relieved look passes over her and she nods eagerly. The doors start to close and Nurse Imelda lunges to swipe her card again to keep it open.
“There are several shady places like the one you described,” she says with a nod. “Have a good walk!”
My mom and I stride outside and I can feel some of the tension melt from her body as she tilts her head upwards towards the sun. Waiting until we’re surrounded by plants and the beautiful trees of the garden, I ask, “How long has it been since you’ve been outside?”
Sighing, she looks up at me. Mom is a tiny woman, even if I’ve always seen her as a powerhouse of energy. She’s barely five-feet tall and I have to force myself to walk extra slowly for her. These long legs were made to cover a lot of ground, and it’s not natural for me to walk slowly.
“It’s been a few months,” she says softly. “You were on the road and it was normal for us not to speak for a while. And then your father dumped me in this place, and I haven’t felt the sun on my face since.”
“Fuck,” I sigh softly.
“Language,” Mom mutters softly, and I chuckle.
“Really, Mom?” I ask with a smile. If anyone else were to look at us, we’d be a mother and son enjoying a walk in the fall sun. There’s a small chill in the air, but my mom is in an oversized, ugly sweater, so it doesn’t bother her. She’s wearing loose warm pants, a long-sleeved white shirt, and fuzzy slippers too.
Mom isn’t completely ready for the outdoors, but I’m not going to nitpick.
“How did you find out I was here?” Mom asks as we slowly start to walk again and I bite my lip. I may be good at pulling the wool over my father’s eyes, but I’m never going to be able to shut myself off like that from her.
“Derek,” she growls under her breath and I chuckle. Mom’s still there, even under the timidness.
“Dad told me,” I respond honestly. “It’s how he got me to come home. I’m working for him now.”
“No,” she whispers. “He’s… not a good man, Derek. There’s a lot of reasons I’m here, and one of them is that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Dad’s not a good person, Mom. But neither am I,” I sigh softly. We are well away from the main building, walking slowly through the gorgeous gardens few people get to really enjoy. “I’m here for you, but I’m also here for a girl with beautiful lavender hair. Know her?” I ask lightly, eyes slanted down towards her.
