winked at Irvel and yelled ahead in a pleasant voice, “She’s coming.” It would be pointless to argue with Belinda now. It would only make Irvel and her friends more upset.
Irvel brought her head close to Ashley’s, her voice a whisper. “You’re very kind, dear. I truly hope we can have tea sometime.” Irvel took a few more steps and stopped. She raised a single finger and pointed at Ashley. “You know something? You have the most beautiful hair. . . .”
Ashley spent the rest of the day with various other tasks. She oversaw lunch and helped the women to their chairs for an afternoon nap. She checked on Laura Jo and Edith, but they were both sleeping. On Belinda’s desk in the office, next to Edith’s file, Ashley noticed a bottle of medication. Sedatives—obviously Belinda’s way of getting Edith to stop screaming.
Several times she looked in on Bert. Lu was right. When he wasn’t eating or napping, he was circling—round and round and round the bed, rubbing out the wrinkles in the comforter with meticulous care.
“Bert?” Ashley came to him and touched his arm. “Bert, my name is Ashley. I’m new.”
Bert said nothing. He neither stopped nor looked up. Instead, he maneuvered himself awkwardly past Ashley, his hands moving in constant circles all the while.
“Okay then, Bert. I’ll be in the next room if you need anything.”
On her way out, Ashley noticed a framed black-and-white photo on Bert’s dresser. It was a picture of a handsome, strapping man and a striking young woman, side by side on horseback. Ashley glanced over her shoulder at Bert, still making his way around the bed. “I’m here for you, Bert. Call if you need me.”
Late that afternoon, Irvel’s niece came by. Lu had explained about the regular visitors, and Irvel’s niece was one of them. She came every Monday afternoon and read the Bible out loud to her aunt. When she was finished, they would recite the Twenty-third Psalm together and then sing Irvel’s favorite hymn.
Ashley peeked in and watched the scene from the hallway. The two women were arm in arm, singing in a way that was far from perfect but much more beautiful. “Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness. . . .”
The song built and then came to a close. Irvel was polite and enjoyed the company, but clearly she didn’t recognize her niece. She remembered almost nothing about her life except a few choice things: her name, her Hank, her favorite hymn.
And every single word of the Twenty-third Psalm.
When her niece left, Irvel hugged her and smiled. “I’m Irvel, dear. So nice to meet you. We should have tea sometime. Peppermint tea.”
“I love you, Aunt Irvel,” the woman told her. “Jesus loves you too.”
“Yes, dear.” Irvel’s eyes twinkled as if she were twenty years old again. “The Lord is my shepherd. Isn’t that wonderful?”
On the way home from work, Ashley couldn’t stop thinking about the old woman and her sweet way of welcoming those around her. Before picking up Cole from her parents’ house, where he stayed while she worked, she stopped and bought the one thing Sunset Hills Adult Care Home absolutely could not do another day without.
A box of peppermint tea bags.
Chapter Ten
You reap what you sow.
That was the only way Luke Baxter could make sense of how good his life had become recently. Not just at school and at church, but with Reagan—with her most of all.
They were thirty thousand feet up in the air and headed for New York City. The trip had been Reagan’s idea—a chance to spend a week together before school started and to meet her parents at the same time. Luke cast a glance at his girlfriend, sleeping with her head against the window, and silently sent a prayer of thanks to God for her. Reagan was everything he’d ever wanted in a girl. Everything.
She had legs that went on forever and long, golden hair. More than once, people had commented that she looked like a taller, longer-legged Anna
Irvel brought her head close to Ashley’s, her voice a whisper. “You’re very kind, dear. I truly hope we can have tea sometime.” Irvel took a few more steps and stopped. She raised a single finger and pointed at Ashley. “You know something? You have the most beautiful hair. . . .”
Ashley spent the rest of the day with various other tasks. She oversaw lunch and helped the women to their chairs for an afternoon nap. She checked on Laura Jo and Edith, but they were both sleeping. On Belinda’s desk in the office, next to Edith’s file, Ashley noticed a bottle of medication. Sedatives—obviously Belinda’s way of getting Edith to stop screaming.
Several times she looked in on Bert. Lu was right. When he wasn’t eating or napping, he was circling—round and round and round the bed, rubbing out the wrinkles in the comforter with meticulous care.
“Bert?” Ashley came to him and touched his arm. “Bert, my name is Ashley. I’m new.”
Bert said nothing. He neither stopped nor looked up. Instead, he maneuvered himself awkwardly past Ashley, his hands moving in constant circles all the while.
“Okay then, Bert. I’ll be in the next room if you need anything.”
On her way out, Ashley noticed a framed black-and-white photo on Bert’s dresser. It was a picture of a handsome, strapping man and a striking young woman, side by side on horseback. Ashley glanced over her shoulder at Bert, still making his way around the bed. “I’m here for you, Bert. Call if you need me.”
Late that afternoon, Irvel’s niece came by. Lu had explained about the regular visitors, and Irvel’s niece was one of them. She came every Monday afternoon and read the Bible out loud to her aunt. When she was finished, they would recite the Twenty-third Psalm together and then sing Irvel’s favorite hymn.
Ashley peeked in and watched the scene from the hallway. The two women were arm in arm, singing in a way that was far from perfect but much more beautiful. “Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness. . . .”
The song built and then came to a close. Irvel was polite and enjoyed the company, but clearly she didn’t recognize her niece. She remembered almost nothing about her life except a few choice things: her name, her Hank, her favorite hymn.
And every single word of the Twenty-third Psalm.
When her niece left, Irvel hugged her and smiled. “I’m Irvel, dear. So nice to meet you. We should have tea sometime. Peppermint tea.”
“I love you, Aunt Irvel,” the woman told her. “Jesus loves you too.”
“Yes, dear.” Irvel’s eyes twinkled as if she were twenty years old again. “The Lord is my shepherd. Isn’t that wonderful?”
On the way home from work, Ashley couldn’t stop thinking about the old woman and her sweet way of welcoming those around her. Before picking up Cole from her parents’ house, where he stayed while she worked, she stopped and bought the one thing Sunset Hills Adult Care Home absolutely could not do another day without.
A box of peppermint tea bags.
Chapter Ten
You reap what you sow.
That was the only way Luke Baxter could make sense of how good his life had become recently. Not just at school and at church, but with Reagan—with her most of all.
They were thirty thousand feet up in the air and headed for New York City. The trip had been Reagan’s idea—a chance to spend a week together before school started and to meet her parents at the same time. Luke cast a glance at his girlfriend, sleeping with her head against the window, and silently sent a prayer of thanks to God for her. Reagan was everything he’d ever wanted in a girl. Everything.
She had legs that went on forever and long, golden hair. More than once, people had commented that she looked like a taller, longer-legged Anna
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