Page 39 of Through the Snow Globe
“I didn’t pick this day.” Diana never would have chosen one of the worst days of her life.
Mrs. Guzman narrowed her wide blue eyes. “Oh, yes, you did.”
* * *
After drinking her hot peppermint tea, Diana said goodbye to Mrs. Guzman and walked past the jingling Santa on the sidewalk, dropping some change into his pail.
“Merry Christmas!” he called after her.
“Thank you!” Diana called behind her, walking fast. She was on a mission. The best plan she had was to go about her morning as scheduled because if this was the day that stuck in the real timeline, she needed her job. She had patients to see and a promotion to win. Plus, Linus’s accident wasn’t until tonight. There’d be plenty of time to get to him, make up, and keep him from riding his bicycle into a delivery truck.
First stop was Maria Harris’s house.Crap!Diana had nearly forgotten about Maria’s broken ankle. She hoped it wasn’t too late to save her. Diana dialed Maria’s number and waited.
“Hello?” Maria sounded slightly out of breath when she answered.
“Ms. Harris? You’re not trying to pull your Christmas decorations from the attic, are you?”
Maria coughed slightly. “I am, and it’s a bit dusty up there.”
“Stop what you’re doing. That’s not safe.” Diana cranked the car and waited for the engine to warm, watching the frosty vapors rise from the hood. “I’ll help you as soon as I’m done stretching your arm. Promise me you’ll wait.”
“Well, I’m perfectly capable—” Maria began to protest.
“I’m sure you are, but I want to help.”
Maria reluctantly agreed. Diana exhaled softly, feeling like she’d dodged a bullet. Then she drove over and knocked on her patient’s door.
“Diana, I’m so glad you’re here,” Maria said in greeting.
“Hi, Ms. Harris. How are you feeling today?” Diana stepped into the home and looked around, spotting one box of decorations from where Maria had already begun dragging them from the attic before Diana’s call.
Maria rubbed her right arm as she flinched slightly. “The shoulder is stiff, but I’m alive, so that’s a blessing, isn’t it? And you are here with me.” She offered a wide smile.
Diana was glad that Maria valued her visits and she felt pressured, in a good way, to connect on a deeper level with the older woman. Maria seemed lonely. “Let’s get started, shall we?”
Maria slowly headed over to the bed in the corner of her living room and laid down with her right arm facing out for Diana to stretch. She closed her eyes like she often did and let Diana work.
“Your daughter is missing out by not having a relationship with you,” Diana broached as she lifted Maria’s arm above her, pushing it to the point of stiffness and holding the position for a beat.
Maria’s eyes popped open and focused on Diana. “How did you know I have a daughter who lives nearby?”
Right. Yesterday had only happened in Diana’s world. “Oh, um, I think you mentioned her once. Didn’t you?”
“Hmm. That would be strange. I don’t speak of my daughter often, but I guess I must have. I don’t think my daughter would agree that she’s missing out by not having a relationship with me though. I’m sure she’s a busy woman anyway. She always was a busy body.”
“Like someone else I know,” Diana teased.
Maria smiled. “My daughter has a daughter of her own. My granddaughter is a beautiful teenager these days. I only know this because of a nice neighbor who cyberstalked her for me once.” Maria looked down, not meeting Diana’s gaze for a moment. “Allowing him to do that for me felt wrong. If my girl wanted me to know how she was doing, she would tell me herself. So, I’ve never looked her up again.”
“It must be hard, not knowing.” Diana finished stretching the shoulder and moved on to Maria’s elbow and wrist.
“It’s my burden to carry.”
When Diana was finished stretching Maria’s arm, she helped the older woman sit up on the bed’s edge. Maria laid a hand over Diana’s and gave her a meaningful look. “Thank you for letting me talk about my daughter. It helps. Maybe one of these days you’ll tell me about your life too. You’ve been coming here for weeks, and I barely know a thing about you.”
Diana shook her head just slightly. “That’s because these sessions are for you, Maria. Not me.” And Diana was private. “My life is pretty boring anyway.”
“You’re engaged, aren’t you? Romance is anything but boring.”
