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Mom beamed when she saw me. The dark shadows under her eyes seemed lighter today. Usually she would have been quiet and withdrawn after her choking episode yesterday, but she was chatting happily with the young medic who was exercising her legs.
“Darling!” she said happily. And for a moment, I imagined her lifting her arms in welcome like she had always done every day when I came home from school. Her arms were at her sides now, unmoving since her fall, but her whole demeanour today embraced me warmly.
I ran to her and hugged her and kissed her cheek.
Her eyes were on Marco. “This must be your fiancé,” she said brightly. “I knew you were seeing someone! I’m so glad you finally decided to introduce me. I can’t imagine why you kept him a secret!”
Marco chuckled, and leaned down to kiss her on her cheek. “Marco DeAngelis,” he said. “It’s good to finally meet you.”
He sounded genuine, as if I had done nothing but talk about my mom to him endlessly.
“I’m sorry to hear you were ill yesterday,” he added. “How are you feeling now?”
“Much better,” she reassured him. “Bernadette, my nurse, is a godsend. But it was wonderful to be able to send her home to rest after our ordeal yesterday. But you must tell me what happened? Bernie said something had happened at work, Beth?”
Then a look of panic and guilt came over Mom’s face as her eyes darted from me to him. I knew she was wondering whether she should have mentioned my work to Marco. She had always worried that no decent man would want a girl who worked at Bordello.
I gave her a reassuring smile, and she looked relieved.
But then my throat closed over at the thought of telling her about Dolly. It had been one of her worst fears. She had always said that women in that line of work were at risk.
Marco’s hand stroked down the small of my back, comforting me.
He seemed to sense I didn’t know what to tell my mom.
“You will have to forgive us for not coming to see you sooner,” he said. “One of Beth’s friends passed away yesterday. It has been a difficult night.”
“Darling, I’m so sorry!” said Mom. She looked frustrated, angry that she couldn’t lift her arms to hold me.
I perched on the bed next to her and leaned my head against hers. She rubbed her head gently against mine, the most that she could do.
“Who was it?” she asked. “Not Dolly?”
Dolly was the one I spoke to her about most. She knew how much Dolly meant to me.
A small sound of grief came out of my mouth, and Mom’s face fell.
When Marco put his hands on my shoulders and kissed the top of my head to comfort me, Mom looked at him approvingly.
“Oh sweetheart, what happened? You’re not going back to work there, are you?” she added sharply.
“She is not,” Marco said firmly. “Not anymore.”
Mom closed her eyes in relief and she mumbled thanks to the powers that be under her breath.
“How did she die?” she said in a trembling voice. “Was it… violent?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said.
I couldn’t bear to have to tell Mom the details. I couldn’t tell her the truth anyway, and I didn’t want to lie.
Marco squeezed my shoulders. “Someone did hurt her,” he said. “The police are investigating. And you don’t need to worry about Beth anymore. She will be staying with me.”
Mom beamed at him. “I’m so glad she has you to look after her. I’ve always been so worried about her out in the world all alone. She’s just a girl, really.”
“Mom!” I chided her. “I’ve never felt in any danger. And there is nothing wrong with women going out into the world alone to work. And if anyone is to blame for the danger that society presents, then it’s the men! And why should women have to sit at home and be afraid all the time because of that? I won’t do it!”
Mom rolled her eyes at me. “Because unfortunately it’s a reality of this world, darling. I know you want to fight against it, but you can’t fight everything.”
