The Storm Within by Darlene Deluca

Author:Darlene Deluca
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: friendship, relationships, family, small town, recovery, divorce

Elise studied her mother. She seemed fine. Her face was a bit red and splotchy. From crying? Lack of sleep? Hard to say. Was alcohol a factor? As usual, she put on a good front, but Elise had the feeling her mother was distracted, simply going through the motions. The way she’d been after Ben died.

The divorce had set her back, for sure. If only she’d gotten some therapy after Ben died, maybe she could handle the divorce easier. But going to a doctor for mental health was against her mother’s religion. The commandments her mother lived by included, ‘Thou Shalt Keep Proper Appearances at All Times.’ Psychiatrists were for crazy people. And word might get out.

As she folded the grocery bags, Elise considered her mother’s offer to babysit. It might be nice to go on a date, but she and Brian weren’t desperate to go out. They had a few trusted and reliable people they called occasionally. It was mostly a matter of time. And convenience. It was a lot of work to have the kids ready and to write out all the instructions for a sitter. Easier to stay home. And she simply didn’t know whether her mom was up to the task.

At the kitchen table, Olivia had wrangled Grammy into an endless game of tic-tac-toe on a wipe-off board. Elise couldn’t help but notice that the wand shook in her mother’s hand. She moved a little closer and looked at the board. Her mother’s marks were distinctly unsteady.

“Mom, your hands are shaky. Do you need something to eat? We could go ahead and get supper started.”

Her mother glanced up, and squeezed her fists a moment. “I had a lot of caffeine today. Wanted to make sure I didn’t get sleepy this afternoon. So, yes, I should probably eat something pretty soon.”

Hmm. A lot of caffeine sometimes made her jittery, too. Okay, Elise, stop looking for problems.

She started to turn back toward the kitchen but caught a curious expression from Olivia who looked from Elise to Grammy, then blurted out, “Grammy are you thirsty? Mommy said you might want to have a drink.”

Oh, shit. Elise groaned inside. Why did the kids have to pick up on every word she said? At least every word she didn’t want repeated.

Her mother’s eyes were on her in a flash. And a knowing smirk played around her lips.

“Paybacks . . .” she said softly.

Elise tossed a glare in her daughter’s direction then pasted on a tight smile. “Mom, would you like a glass of iced tea?”

Her mother looked at Olivia, and grinned. “No, thank you. I’m not thirsty right now.”

“All right then. Decision time. Eating in or out?” Hopefully that awkward moment would pass and not be revisited.

Her mother stood up. “I vote for out. Let me take you all to dinner tonight, then tomorrow you and I can start cooking. I’d rather leave all this food for you.”

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