Nora and Liz by Nancy Garden

Author:Nancy Garden [Garden, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gay & Lesbian, Fiction, Lesbian, General, Espionage
ISBN: 9781931513203
Google: KHgBAAAACAAJ
Amazon: 1931513201
Publisher: Bella Books
Published: 2002-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

A slightly revised pattern emerged. Sarah Cassidy, the nurse, continued her regular visits, and on Sundays, Patty still came to stay with the old folks while Louise drove Nora to church and to get the Sunday paper. But Patty’s Friday sessions lengthened, matching Nora’s lengthening visits with Liz for lunch, gardening, and grocery shopping.

In late July, at Nora’s urging, Sarah brought Dr. Cantor, who examined Corinne and told Nora gravely that her increasingly frequent hallucinations seemed to be “a result of an irreversibly deteriorating neurological condition brought about by the stroke and by the numerous small strokes that apparently have followed it.”

“But I can’t confirm this,” he said, “unless I put her in the hospital and do some tests.”

“And that,” Nora had said, sighing, “as you know, Father won’t allow.”

Dr. Cantor opened his mouth as if to object, but Nora quickly added, “Besides, it would terrify her. And anyway, there’s not much you could do for her, is there, even if you knew what was happening?”

“No,” Dr. Cantor admitted, slightly bending his tall body in a courtly, acquiescent half-bow. “I’m afraid there probably isn’t. But”—he handed Sarah a hastily scrawled prescription—“try these. They may help.”

So Sarah picked up the new drug, which did seem to make Corinne calmer and more docile; at least she was less frightened of the hallucinations and more easily soothed when they were explained away. “But she still has them,” Nora told Liz one Friday.

They were sitting on the dock; Liz had lent Nora a pair of shorts, and Nora was dangling her legs, dabbling her feet in the water, which was almost as tepid as the air.

“Poor lady,” Liz said. She splashed Nora’s leg gently. “It must be so hard for you to see her like this.”

“It is,” Nora said. “She was such a sweet, strong woman. Even though she always gave in to Father, she was strong. And she and I used to have little conspiracies whenever he wasn’t around, especially once I was in high school and he got more like he is now. He’d been fun sometimes when I was little, but something must have happened, maybe to do with his work, to make him change. Anyway, Mama and I would take long walks in the woods, looking for wildflowers; we’d cook extravagant desserts—we even invented some; we’d read aloud to each other. She’d make up stories…” Nora felt her eyes fill, and to her horror tears spilled over. “Sorry,” she gasped, batting at them with her fingers. “Sorry, I…”

“Shh,” Liz said. “Shh.” She put her arm around Nora, and for a moment Nora leaned against her, weeping silently. “It’ll do you good to cry,” Liz said softly, stroking her hair.

“I can’t seem to stop.” Nora pulled away and laughed through her tears in a surprised sort of way. “I’m sorry. Let’s do something.”

“Okay. But no apologies. I know.” Liz stood up. “How about a swim? I could lend you a suit. I’ve got an extra one.”

Nora sniffed; her eyes, Liz saw, were still bright with tears, her cheeks slightly flushed.

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