Behind Her Smile by Rosemary Hines

Author:Rosemary Hines [Hines, Rosemary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-09-20T16:00:00+00:00

Sheila Chambers glanced at her watch. Michelle was ten minutes late. She and her daughter tried to meet for coffee twice a month to keep up with each other’s lives. It seemed like Thursday nights were best for both of them. Sheila’s husband, Rick, taught a night class on Thursdays, and Michelle liked the idea of Thursdays since her classes usually had tests Fridays, meaning she had a fairly easy routine the following day. So they’d set aside the first and third Thursdays as their mother-daughter date nights.

Sipping her hazelnut latte, Sheila thought about her afternoon and her visit with her mother. Sheila was struggling to find the right part-time caregiver. Eighty-nine-year-old Joan was still full of life and love, but her memory was slipping more and more. The important things were still there—the names of all her loved ones, the basic routines of daily living, and of course all of the past. But she’d become increasingly forgetful about appointments and had left the stove or oven on several times. It worried Sheila, knowing her mother was alone and might actually start a fire by accident.

A bell chime signaled the opening of the front door of the Coffee Stop, and Sheila looked up to see Michelle hurrying inside. “Hi, Mom,” her daughter said breathlessly. “Sorry I’m late.” She pulled out her wallet. “I’ll grab my coffee and be right back.”

Sheila smiled and nodded. “Take your time, dear. No rush.”

When Michelle returned a couple of minutes later, she was carrying a tray with her coffee and two slices of pecan pie. “I couldn’t resist,” she said with a wink, placing one plate in front of Sheila as she settled into the seat across from her. “And no fussing about any diets,” she warned. “I get enough of that with Madison.”

“How is Maddie these days?” Sheila asked, sharing her daughter’s concern about Madison’s obsession with diet and exercise.

“You know, Mom, I’m not exactly sure.” Michelle paused before continuing. “I guess right now, her boyfriend is my biggest concern.”

“Really? That new boy…Mike?”

“Miles.”

“Oh, yes. Miles. So tell me what’s got you so worried.” Sheila took a bite of her pie, and then studied her daughter’s face.

Gazing off into space as if searching for answers, Michelle finally replied, “I just don’t trust him.”

“But you trust Madison, right?” Sheila asked.

Michelle turned and looked her in the eye. “You know, Mom, I’m not really sure.” She hesitated a moment and then added, “I’ve just got a gut level feeling that something’s not right with Madison. And I think it has something to do with her relationship with Miles.”

“Have you talked to her about it?”

“Not really. There’s nothing specific I can say, yet. But she just doesn’t seem like herself. She’s edgy and more quiet than normal. Plus, she doesn’t seem to have much appetite. It was one thing when she was trying to diet. I could see her fighting her appetite then. Now, it’s like she has to fight to eat instead.”

A shadow of concern settled on Sheila’s spirit.

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