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“Oh, I just happened to see Jamie on my way here, and I asked him to come to look at the area where I want the new benches to go. And, of course, trouble him with a bit more work that can be done around here.”
“It’s no trouble, Becky,” Jamie chimed in. “I had time on my hands anyway. I’m waiting to take Cora to town.”
“Jo, come let me show you what Jamie’s going to do for me,” Becky invited her daughter.
Jo took the hand her mother held out to her and followed her toward a section of the garden that was bare.
“I want to put a waterfall or fountain here, but I want the design to be stacked stones, and I want it to end in a pond where we could have some fish.”
Jo shook her head in understanding, already visioning exactly what her mother wanted. “That sounds like a lovely use for the space,” she shared. “Seems like by the time you’re done executing your vision, none of us will ever want to leave this garden.”
Becky chuckled at her daughter’s words. “What a brilliant way to become one with nature. I guess we’ll have to move our bedrooms down here then,” she joked.
“I guess so,” Jo agreed with a laugh. She looked over to see Jamie’s shoulders shake slightly as he joined in their laughter.
After another thirty minutes of Becky walking around the space and explaining her requests, Jamie left to go pick up Cora, leaving the two women alone.
“So… what’s on your mind?” Becky asked her daughter after the two sat on the concrete benches surrounded by exotic rose bushes.
“Nothing’s on my mind. I just wanted to spend some time with you,” Jo told her mother. “How is your hand feeling?”
“It’s a little sore, it scratches a bit under the cast, but it’s not bad. I can move my hand,” Becky replied, raising her hand in the cast as evidence.
“Just be careful, Mom. Don’t put too much pressure on it. It’s still a relatively fresh fracture,” Jo cautioned.
“Sweetie,” Becky spoke, lifting her free hand to rest on her daughter’s cheek as she looked into her eyes. “I’m fine. I promise. I don’t want you to spend all of your time worrying about me. It’s a fracture, something that could have happened to any one of you if you were the ones that had taken that fall.”
“You’re right,” Jo accepted her mother’s statement with a soft sigh. “I know what you’re saying is true. I guess it’s just that… it’s been hard to see you as anything other than a strong person. I mean, I don’t remember you ever being sick, and now that we’re finally reunited, you’re dealing with this illness, and now this happened, and it has me scared,” she confessed.
Becky looked at her daughter with understanding. “I know it’s hard to accept this, and I’m not saying that I’m okay with what is happening to me, but I don’t want you or us to spend the time I have left worrying about what is going to happen and not make any happy memories. This illness is completely out of our control. I want to spend the remainder of my time enjoying my girls and the rest of the family. I finally have you girls back with me, and all I want is for us to make new, pure memories that I hope you will be able to look back on and be happy when I am no longer here.”
Jo placed her palm over the hand on her cheek and gave her mother a grateful smile. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, sweetie.”
* * *
“What is happening in here?” Jo asked the moment she and Becky stepped up on the porch where Aunt Stacy, Tessa, Andrea, and Jules sat conversing and laughing. She could smell an aroma coming from inside the house that tickled her nose and caused her mouth to water.
“Hey, cuz.” Tessa rose to give Jo a hug before turning to Becky. “How is your hand feeling, Aunt Becky?”
“It’s not bad, Tessa. It feels like it’s healing nicely,” Becky informed her niece.
“Great, great. If you feel any discomfort, don’t hesitate to call me, okay?”
“I will, sweetie. Thanks.”
“Again, what’s happening here? Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to see you all, but what is the occasion?” she asked after bending down to hug Aunt Stacy.
“We’re reviving our family weekend tradition of good food and a hand of poker,” Uncle Luke answered her question as he stepped through the back door.
“Hi, Uncle Luke,” Jo and Becky said at the same time.
“Hi, baby girl,” he greeted Jo, giving her a tight hug before lightly hugging Becky next.
“I didn’t know you were coming here today, let alone were planning a family get-together.”
“I thought it was time, Becks,” Uncle Luke replied. “I called Cora earlier, and she and Andrea thought it was a great idea, but you and Jo were out by the garden. We thought it was best not to disturb your bonding time,” he further explained.
