Chapter Forty-Eight
V ickie’s heart rate still wasn’t back to normal. She sat down in Thatcher’s office and tried to concentrate on what her aunt was saying. “I’m sorry, Aunt Rose. Can you start over?
“Sure, hon. I might not have a good connection.” Rose had been in Texas long enough that she had a distinctive twang. “I called to let you know that Mom’s had a little accident.”
“Mom?” Vickie was still reeling. “Gram? You mean Gram’s had an accident?” She sat upright. “What happened?”
“Oh, dear. I don’t want to alarm you. Actually, I tried to get a hold of your mother first but she didn’t take my call.” Rose delivered the last sentence with clipped words. There was no love lost between the sisters. Rose resented the fact that Vickie’s mom lived in the same state as Gram and yet refused to so much as accompany her to a doctor’s visit.
“I’ll get in touch with her.” Vickie sighed. “Just tell me what happened.”
“We had a little freak ice storm. I mean, Texas hardly ever gets ice, especially in November.” She paused. “Anyway, Mom was going out to get the newspaper and she slipped. She broke her arm.”
Vickie inhaled sharply. “Oh no. Is she in the hospital?”
“Just for a few days. She would’ve called you herself, but the medicine they gave her for pain makes her really sleepy.”
“Do I need to fly out? I can be there tomorrow if I need to.”
“There is no need for that. But I will go ahead and tell you that I think she’s just going to stay here through New Years. The doctor thinks it will take a while to get her rehabbed, and I’d rather her have someone to stay with. I can take her to her appointments and all.”
“Thanks for taking such good care of her, Aunt Rose. And please let me know if I need to come out to help. I’ll make sure Mom knows too in case she wants to fly out.” As if.
Rose’s snort was unmistakable. “I’ve lived in Texas for twenty years and Marilyn hasn’t so much as sent me a birthday card. I’ll expect her here when pigs fly.”
What could she even say to that? “Thanks for letting me know. Tell Gram I love her and that I’ll talk to her soon.” They hung up and Vickie said a silent prayer for Gram. And for Aunt Rose. Vickie knew all too well the destructive path her mother had cut through the family.
She turned the phone over and over in her hand. She may as well get it over with. The phone rang four times before her mother picked up. “Hello, Victory.”
Vickie rolled her eyes even though she knew her mom couldn’t see them. She was not going to be drawn into the same arguments tonight. “Aunt Rose tried to call you.”
“She was probably calling to see what I’m getting Mother for Christmas. I don’t know why she’d even care. It’s not as if we shop at the same stores.”
Ugh. She was in rare form. “No, Mom. She was calling to let you know that Gram had an accident.” Vickie explained the situation. “It will be easier for her to stay out there with Aunt Rose until January. That way there’ll be someone to take Gram to her doctors’ appointments.”
“My sister is such a saint, isn’t she? If I hadn’t been in the delivery room when you were born, going through agony I might add, I’d almost swear you belong to her instead.”
Vickie knew her mother was only trying to goad her. For years, Vickie had held out hope that someday they would be close, but the older she got, the more fleeting the thought. “Actually, I’m thankful that Aunt Rose can do it. I told her I would fly out to Texas if I needed to.” She paused. “And it wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to do the same.”
“They don’t need me. Rose is a lot more capable as a nurse than I am.”
“Mom, you don’t have to go out there to help care for her, but you could go out just for a visit.”
Her mother was silent. “Darling, I know you only want to help. But sometimes you treat me like I’m a child.”
Sometimes you act like one. Vickie didn’t dare say the words out loud. She knew her mother’s cell reception would mysteriously cut off. As it always did when Vickie said too many things that weren’t to her mother’s liking. “I’m looking forward to seeing you and Daddy at Thanksgiving.”
“I suppose Mother’s extended stay in Texas throws a wrench in your Christmas plans, doesn’t it?”
Vickie hadn’t thought of that. “Oh, it will. What are y’all doing for Christmas?” Vickie spent nearly every Christmas with Gram. Her parents always preferred to travel during the holidays so they could experience Christmas among different cultures. Vickie preferred a more traditional approach.
“This year, we’re doing a cruise.” Finally, Mom’s voice was excited. “I think it’s all booked up though. Maybe you can spend the holidays with friends.”
“I’ll be fine.”
A beep on her mother’s line abruptly ended their conversation. Clearly whoever it was rated higher than Vickie. She turned the phone over and over in her hands. Her mother got to her every time. No matter what.
She quickly bowed her head. As she’d been doing since she first began praying regularly, she asked God to help her get along with her mother. But this time, she followed up that thought with another one. Lord, please don’t let me be one of those girls who turns into her mother.