June 2017
Manor, Part II
It's been two weeks and two days since my mother left her home. She is now around 15 miles closer to me but it only shaves about 12 minutes off my drive time.
I've been to see her several times but my sister goes every day. She lives very nearby and we take a lot of comfort in that.
This weekend would have been my turn to stay with her in the big woods and it felt strange not to go down there on Friday afternoon. So I headed to the nursing home on Saturday morning, anxious to spend the day with her.
Eli
When he leaned in and whispered, "Please, can we get him, Mom?", I was already two thoughts ahead of him.
We were sitting a few rows back in the Tallahassee Little Theater on opening night of Annie. I had noticed him in the playbill and learned he was being fostered because like Annie, he was an orphan as well.
After the curtain fell, I found his foster mom and told her I was interested.
She took down my information with a promise to keep me informed on any decisions that would be made.
Then a line began to form.
Manor
She didn't know she was going there to stay. We told her about it a week ago but she'd forgotten it by the time we ended the next sentence.
We spent the day with her there, tried to make her tiny room inviting, but we knew there was no amount of pretty we could paint it with to make it feel like home.
And then we hugged her, told her we'd see her tomorrow, and simply walked away.
That was yesterday and my heart felt raw.
Today I feel like an asshole.
Please forgive us Mama.