16. Hunter #2
Kiera said goodbye to her mom and grandma, then headed for the door.
When she was gone, Hunter turned to Rhiannon and Abby and said, “You both look very pretty. Did you have fun at the salon?”
“It was wonderful,” Rhiannon said, sliding onto one of the bar stools behind the island while her mother went over to turn on the electric kettle.
“You should come with us next time,” Abby said.
“Oh, thanks but it’s not really my scene,” Hunter said, laughing with slight embarrassment. She wouldn’t know what to do with herself in a salon - Piper had been doing a serviceable job of cutting her hair for years.
“I don’t know why you never want to come with us to these girls’ days, Niamh,” Abby said, mistaking Hunter for Rhiannon’s sister. “Such a tomboy.”
Hunter glanced at Rhiannon across the island and she mouthed bad day back to her. Hunter nodded and put her hand on Abby’s shoulder, asking, “Are you hungry? I made sandwiches.”
“No thank you, dear,” Abby said. “They gave us crackers and cucumber water at the salon. I’m just going to make myself a cup of tea to warm up and then see what your father’s up to.”
Hunter looked again at Rhiannon at the mention of Abby’s husband, wondering how she wanted to handle this lapse of memory.
Most of the time, Abby was perfectly lucid even if she did tend to forget where she was going when she was halfway out of one room and half-in the next, but this type of memory loss was less common for her.
They waited for Abby to prepare her tea and take it into the den, then Rhiannon came over to Hunter and spoke to her in hushed tones. “She’s having a forgetful day. She called me Kiera a few times at the salon and thinks my dad’s still alive.”
“I’m sorry,” Hunter said. “Do you normally tell her when she gets confused about things like that?”
“Not about Dad,” Rhiannon said. “I correct her when she calls me by the wrong name, but I can’t bear to tell her that her husband passed. The confusion usually doesn’t last long. Do you think you can handle it or would you like me to stay?”
“I’ve dealt with confused patients plenty of times at the nursing home,” Hunter said, trying to sound reassuring and comforting.
Rhiannon checked the time and frowned, then said, “I do have a client appointment this afternoon. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Yeah,” Hunter said. “We’ll be fine. Maybe Abby would like to make a pie or something for dessert this evening. I’ll keep her occupied.”
Rhiannon smiled, though it wasn’t her usual cheery expression.
She was more worried about her mother than she let on and Hunter put one hand briefly on her shoulder, the words to comfort her beyond reach.
Rhiannon took a deep breath and composed herself, then smiled a little brighter and said, “Well, I better get going.”
She patted Hunter’s hand, then headed for the kitchen doorway. She paused there and looked back, narrowing her eyes as she asked, “You and my daughter… is there something going on between you two?”
Hunter looked down at the expensive tile floor, wondering if she was about to be reprimanded or lectured. But when she looked back up at Rhiannon, she didn’t seem upset
“I’m relieved to see her happy,” she said, surprising Hunter. “And you seem like a good match for her. Just don’t ignore my mother when you’re supposed to be on the clock.”
“Never,” Hunter said adamantly. Rhiannon nodded and Hunter turned back to the sandwiches sitting on the counter, letting out a sigh of relief. Well, that went well.
She went into the den to check on Abby, carrying a plate with her just in case she’d changed her mind about being hungry.
Abby was putting the finishing touches on the blue velvet cap she’d been knitting for Rhiannon and she made Hunter kneel in front of her to put it on her head and make sure it was shaping up right.
“That looks just about perfect,” Abby said, taking off the cap and inspecting her handiwork. “You’re next, Niamh. What color do you want?”
“I’m Hunter,” she reminded her gently. “Your nurse.”
“Of course you are,” Abby said, although Hunter couldn’t be quite sure if she was really listening because she went right on talking as if Hunter were her daughter. “I’m thinking emerald green to match the shades of green in your eyes.”
“Are you hungry?” Hunter asked again. Abby nodded so Hunter pulled a tray table up to the recliner and set down the sandwich.
“Have you seen my crystal flower vase?” Abby asked as she picked up the sandwich.
“Hmm?” Hunter asked. The question didn’t pertain to anything they’d been talking about and it was clear that Abby was still in a state of confusion.
“The flower vase that I keep on the mantel,” Abby said. “It’s not there.”
Hunter looked at the fireplace on the far side of the room.
There were a few different things there, taper candles and decorative pieces, but no flower vase.
It didn’t look like a crystal vase would fit the motif anyway, and Hunter said, “I don’t remember seeing a vase there. Are you sure that’s where you keep it?”
Abby chewed for a minute, then asked, “Keep what, dear?”
Hunter sighed.
“Nothing,” she said, sitting down on the couch across from her.
She hoped that this was just one bad day and not an indicator of declining mental health to come. It would crush Kiera, and from what she’d seen today, Rhiannon would take her mother’s deterioration hard, too, despite the brave face she put on.
Hunter studied the mantel while Abby ate, feeling frustrated. She’d had such an incredible morning, one of the best of her life. And now she would spend the afternoon being reminded of the fact that she was in this house not as a part of Kiera’s life, but as part of Abby’s.