Carry the Light by Delia Parr

Author:Delia Parr
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises
Published: 2008-12-26T16:00:00+00:00

Ellie sat at the kitchen table, watching her mother serve herself. Since the incision on her mother’s arm was nearly healed, Ellie hadn’t had to help her with her meals for several days now.

Tonight’s menu of broiled flounder, steamed peas and brown rice would have required little assistance anyhow. There was no salt or butter on the table and no cream sauce for the peas. Ellie was proud of herself for sticking to the dietary guidelines for her mother’s heart condition.

When her mother finished taking a small serving of everything, she set down her fork and wrinkled her nose. “Supper doesn’t look any more appetizing tonight than last night, I’m afraid.”

“It’s nutritious and it’s hot,” Ellie replied, thinking about how she might be up until midnight grading papers due to the hours spent on the errand to her mother’s house for clothes, and then in the kitchen preparing the meal.

“This flounder has no flavor at all.” Her mother frowned as she chewed it. “Frying it in a bit of garlic butter might have helped.”

Ellie slid a saucer of fresh lemon wedges toward her mother. “Butter is off your diet, remember?”

“You remind me so often, I’m not likely to forget,” her mother snapped. “I suppose I’m not allowed to have any cream sauce for my peas or gravy for the rice. It looks dry.”

Ellie flinched. “I sprinkled some seasoning on the peas and some paprika on top of the flounder to add a little zip, but you might try squeezing a little lemon juice on them,” she suggested and helped herself to a serving of all the dishes. She tasted each and reached for some lemon. “You’re right. This way of cooking is going to take some getting used to, but I’m only trying to help you follow your doctors’ orders,” she added.

She tried to remain positive and not whine about following the diet herself. In all likelihood, if her mother had not been here she would not have bothered to cook for herself tonight and would simply have nibbled on cheese and crackers while she graded her papers.

“I wonder what those doctors are having for dinner tonight,” her mother grumbled, ignoring the lemon slices as she tried another bite of fish.

“I have no idea, but they don’t have heart trouble, as far as I know,” Ellie countered, struggling to hold on to a little patience.

“Maybe not, but it seems to me that if I don’t have all that much time left, like they seem to think, I’d rather not spend it eating food that may as well be cardboard for all the flavor it has. I know you might have to cook a bit differently for me, but you might think about stopping and asking me what I’d like to have for lunch or supper once in a while. I had also hoped you might at least have taken a few days off to spend at home with me, since it’s very clear you’re far too selfish to consider retiring.

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