Page 162 of Dying to Meet You
It takes a minute for her parents to appear in the doorway, her mother first, carefully cradling her hand in a fiberglass cast. Her father appears just behind her, grasping her elbow as if to help her into the kitchen.
“I’ve got it, Harrison. No need to hover.”
Her father steps back, contrite, and then follows her into the kitchen when he can.
“How’s the hand?” her grandpa asks, folding up the last grocery bag.
“Painful,” her mother sighs. “But I’m pretty happy to be out of that hospital. Natalie, would you put a plastic bag on my cast for me in a few minutes? I’m desperate for a shower.”
“Sure.”
Natalie ends up sitting on the toilet seat while her mom showers, assisting with the shampoo bottle and the conditioner.
“What a pain in the ass this is,” her mother grumbles. “Can you hand me a towel in a sec?”
“Yup.”
Together, they do the clumsy work of shutting off the water and wrapping her mother in terry cloth. “What if I brushed out your hair?” Natalie asks.
“Maybe just this once.”
“What clothes will be easiest to put on?”
“Good question. I don’t really want you to button my jeans.”
Natalie laughs. “Let me find you some sweats. Let’s be quick, because I’m supposed to go to work at noon.”
“Is your dad working, too?” her mother asks.
“Nope. We’re alternating for a little while. Just until you can, you know, get dressed without help.”
“This is a disaster,” her mother complains.
“No, it’s really not,” Natalie insists.
It was close. But she knows the difference.
66
From: Zoya Anastos
To: Rowan Gallagher
OMG Rowan! We are all appalled. I wish I’d had half a clue about Beatrice, but she totally had me fooled.
Ilikedthat bitch. That pisses me off.
Anyway, you might not care about the mansion, and I wouldn’t blame you. But in case you were worrying about the rain getting in through the skylight opening and soaking all the woodwork and paintings you had restored, don’t worry. It wasn’t that bad. They boarded that sucker up pretty fast.
Today I heard the contractors discussing the window. Stained glass that size is super spendy, so Hank is probably going to have plain glass installed up there for now instead. As a conservator, I’m not supposed to say this, but I’m not that sorry the old triple penis is gone. Sue me.
Seems like the Orangerie you had planned is on hold? They took all the earth movers away, and the tool trailer, too.
You know what else is gone? The ghost. No lie. Maybe she escaped out of the gaping hole in the ceiling. I just don’t sense her anymore. The aura around here is shiny and bright.
Please take care of yourself. Maybe this is just workplace gossip, but I heard your dog attacked Beatrice, and also that you havea punk-rock boyfriend who had to pull her off. I hope all that is true.:)
Let me know when I can come and visit and show you photos of the last Poseidon painting. He’s menacing another water sprite. But the colors are great.
