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“Eddie—” I said to the slamming door.
Eddie swung in behind the wheel and my mind whirled, trying to find some excuse, any excuse, for Eddie not to come to my house, spend the night on the couch, protecting me from men with knives.
I couldn’t find one.
He started the truck and off we went…to my doom.
SIX
IT WAS TIME TO TAKE THINGS IN MY OWN HANDS
The alarm went off and I stared at it.
Five twenty.
I hated my life.
I hit snooze.
My alarm went again.
Five twenty-seven.
Ireallyhated my life.
I hit snooze again.
My alarm went again.
Five thirty-four.
Seriously, my life sucked.
I turned off the alarm, rolled out of bed, and still half asleep, shuffled out the door, through the living room and into the kitchen. I opened the coffee filter to make sure Mom had set it up last night with coffee.
She did, so I flipped the switch.
I shuffled back through the living room and down the short hall, yawning and pulling my hair away from my face with one of my hands.
I knocked on Mom’s bedroom door, and when I heard her call, I opened it and leaned against the doorjamb. I didn’t have the energy to hold my body upright.
“Mornin’, Mama,” I said across the room.
“Mornin’, dollface,” Mom replied sleepily.
“You getting up?” I lifted both my hands to pull my hair off my neck and bundle it on the top of my head and I left my hands there.
Mom tried to get up with me in the mornings. That way I could get her sorted before I went to work. She could sleep while I worked, not to mention she could go to bed early.
“Sure, I’ll have breakfast with you,” Mom said.
“You wanna try it alone today? Or do you want me to help?” I asked.
Mom was walking around a bit. Depending on her energy levels, she could get herself in and out of her chair, to the bathroom, around the apartment, even stand at the kitchen counter for a while. She was also doing a lot better at getting herself dressed, which was exhausting one-handed. The PT and OT told her she’d get used to it, get stronger, and it would eventually be a walk in the park (literally). Even though progress was slow, it was happening.
Mornings were good. Evenings were not so good. Ada came over at night to watch TV with Mom because Ada wanted the company, but also to be close to Mom in case something happened. Ada was too old to do transfers or pick Mom up if she fell, but she could make a phone call or go down the hall to one of the more able-bodied neighbors.
“I’m gonna try it alone,” Mom told me, ever the trooper.
