Page 30 of Receiving His Mercy
Of course, Oliver was also concerned that she hadn’t worked lately, despite knowing the reason why she hadn’t.
A shudder worked its way through her and she stifled it, taking in a deep breath.
She stared out at the nursing home. It was a large white building with three levels. The grounds looked beautiful. Welcoming and calming.
She wondered if that worked on her mother.
Deep breath in. Deep breath out.
Caren had arrived in Albany by train last night. She’d just had time to check into her accommodations and get some dinner before getting into bed.
Where she’d tried to sleep but mostly failed.
Who knew that coming to see her estranged, abusive mother could wreak such havoc on her sleep? And her eating. This morning she hadn’t even had the stomach to look at the buffet breakfast at the hotel.
So now she was exhausted, nauseous, and filled with dread.
Awesome.
Why are you doing this? She doesn’t deserve your attention. She doesn’t deserve any part of you.
Caren couldn’t answer those questions. Because she had no idea why she was doing this. Maybe it was closure? Maybe she wanted to see if her mother had changed? If she showed any sign of remorse or wanted to apologize.
Yeah, right.
She was probably more likely to see a flying pig. But there was a part of her that still had hope.
Or perhaps she just wanted to ensure her mother was comfortable in her final years. One visit and she could leave, knowing she’d done her daughterly duty. Knowing that she wasn’t a terrible daughter, in the same way that her mother had been a truly awful parent.
Maybe after this visit she’d finally be able to let go of any residual anger . . . and fear.
There had been no closure with her father, he’d died of a heart attack three years ago. It had been sudden and unexpected. Caren hadn’t even known about it until a lawyer for her parents’ estate had tracked her down to tell her about her mother’s illness.
But she hadn’t been able to bring herself to see her until she’d been informed that her mother had been put in a specialized unit in the nursing home.
God, she’d hate this.
Caren wouldn’t have wished this on her. On anyone. And maybe she would have been better off never coming here.
So why are you here now?
You don’t have to come.
No. But she also thought that she might regret it if she didn’t. She’d certainly wonder if her mother was being treated all right.This place had a good reputation, but you couldn’t be sure until you visited somewhere in person.
Gathering up her resolve, she walked up to the door and pressed the buzzer. She was glad to see that security was being taken seriously. A guard came to the door and took her details before issuing her a visitor badge that she had to return when she left. Then she followed his instructions to get to the special unit.
The woman at the desk looked up with a smile. “Hello, can I help you?”
“Yes, hi. My name is Caren Stanford. My mother, Martha Stanford, is living in the unit. I called to make sure I could visit.”
“Yes, of course! Our director, Mr. Peterson, just wants to meet with you first to talk through your mother’s care.”
“Oh, sure.”
“Please take a seat, he’ll be out soon.”
Great.
