1. Callie
Chapter 1
Callie
June 2023
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
That’s the last sound I want to hear after the week I’ve had. I always knew that working for Magnolia Falls Hospice Care wouldn’t be easy, but this week has been the hardest in the ten years I’ve been with the company. Between adding new patients, losing patients, and a handful of them declining at once, I haven’t had a chance to breathe.
I’ve grown close to all my patients, and I look forward to seeing them every chance that I get. Hearing their stories, even if I’ve heard them ten times before, is such a sweet interaction that truly blesses my day.
A large portion of my patients live with Alzheimer’s and, due to this, I hear their stories over and over again, but it’s not something I would change. Because during times like this last week, I’d give anything to hear those stories one more time.
We’ve lost three amazing people in the last seven days. One of which was harder than most for me.
Mrs. Withers reminded me of my late grandmother who passed away when I was sixteen. My monthly visits with Mrs. Withers were always special. During our time together we’d play card games or talk about the many different adventures she went on in her lifetime.
One of my favorite stories was when she and her husband went on vacation to the beach. They’d been walking from their hotel to the beach, and she tripped in the sand. She was laughing so hard she couldn’t get up and when her husband put out his hand to help, they were laughing so hard that he ended up falling over, too. They ended up sitting there in the sand for a few minutes before getting up and walking the rest of the way to the beach. She said they never let each other live that down, especially when they went back to the beach.
During her funeral, I couldn’t keep my composure. All professionalism went out the window. It was like losing my grandmother all over again.
Chime.
My uncontrollable thoughts are interrupted by the sound of my work phone. I take a deep breath to gather myself before picking up the phone and calling the front desk to see who’s calling.
“Hey, Mel. Checking in about the call on line four. After this week I’m not sure I can handle any more rough phone calls.” I laugh lightly. We’ve all been put through the wringer this week.
“I completely understand that. It’s Mrs. Goldstein. She asked to speak to you about bereavement counseling visits.” Mel’s voice gives away her nervousness. She’s new to the company and is still getting used to the inner workings of the office.
“I had a feeling she’d be calling to arrange some more visits. Thank you, Mel!” I say before hanging up the phone and getting myself ready for my chat with Mrs. Goldstein.
I pull out a sticky note and write a reminder for myself to make Mel a cheat sheet, of sorts, so she can easily figure out who to send calls to as they come in when they don’t ask for someone specifically.
As the social worker for a hospice agency, one of my duties is bereavement counseling. My job as a bereavement counselor is to help the patients cope and make sense of their grief. A huge learning curve for patients, and their families, is the number of things in our lives that we can grieve. Grief doesn’t just occur when a loved one passes away. You can grieve the loss of a job, loss of independence, loss of ability to do your favorite hobbies, along with many other losses in life.
My goal with Mrs. Goldstein, and any patient or their families, is to teach her how to live without her loved one, help her share her feelings about where she is in her grief, and work through any of that grief she is dealing with.
Mrs. Goldstein is the loving, devoted wife of one of the patients we lost this week. They had been married for sixty years and never had kids. She’s now by herself and only has a few people to support her through this grief.
Mr. Goldstein had been sick on and off for the last five years and she’s stuck true to her vows the entire time. She was his caregiver and never once took us up on our offer for respite care, which is essentially a break for the caregiver. She was afraid that something would happen when she was gone, and she didn’t trust leaving his side was a good idea.
“Good afternoon. This is Callie.” I say after picking up Mrs. Goldstein’s call.
“Oh, Callie. I sure hope I’m not bothering you by calling.” Mrs. Goldstein says quietly. I can hear the sadness in her voice.
“No, ma’am. You’re not bothering me at all. How are you doing today?”
“I wish I could tell you that I’m doing well, Callie. But that’d be a lie. Henry and I spent so much time together, just the two of us, and now I’m lost. I was hoping that we could schedule a visit for next week after Henry’s funeral. My sister will be in town, and I think it would be good for her to hear what you’ve got to say if you’re okay with her sitting in with us.”
“I wish I could express how sorry I am. Of course, she can sit in with us. I think it would be beneficial for her to hear about the different coping strategies and learn more about the grief cycle and how best to support you through this. I’ve got Thursday afternoon open. Does that work for you?”
“You’re too good. I am so grateful for the hospice agency and Henry’s entire team that’s been with us during this battle. Thank you. Thursday is great. She’s staying all through the weekend to help with everything.”
“We’re so glad we could be here to help. Did you want me to come to your house or meet here at the office? I’m thinking two pm would work for both.”
“I think I’d feel more comfortable here at home. We’ve got a meeting at the funeral home on Thursday morning but should be back at the house by then. Again, thank you so much.”
“You’re very welcome, Mrs. Goldstein. I hope you have a great rest of your day and we’re here if you need us. I’ll see you at two pm on Thursday at your house.”
Mrs. Goldstein thanks me a few more times before ending the phone call. She’s having a tough time handling the loss of her husband and I’m hoping that having her sister in town will help her through this process.
Once I finish submitting these last few documents I can head home, where I will definitely be pouring myself a glass of wine and getting into some cozy pajamas. I need a couple of days to decompress after this week.
Before shutting down my computer I click print on the cheat sheet I put together for Mel and grab it along with the rest of my things.
“See you Monday, Jo Ellen. I’m heading out.” I say as I pass her open office door.
“See you, Callie,” she replies without the slightest glance in my direction.
Jo Ellen has a certain natural beauty to her. With her golden blonde hair that drapes down her back, to her slender tall body, she is a stunner.
“Hey, Mel! I made you a little cheat sheet telling you who you send calls to that come in. I hope you don’t mind and please don’t take it as me being bothered by you. There’s a lot of calls here daily and I just wanted to help you out a little.” I say, handing her the sheet of paper.
“Oh, thank you! I always forget whose line is who and then overthink it and you know how it goes.” She says with a chuckle.
“Hopefully this will help! Enjoy your weekend!”
“Thanks. You, too.”
I make my way through the parking lot to my blue Honda Civic, opening the passenger side to place my bags down before rounding the front of the car to the driver’s side. I hop in, start her up, and roll my windows down to let in some of this hot summer Georgia weather.
Magnolia Falls is one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone and everything about everyone. You can’t keep secrets no matter how hard you try. The vibe of this town, and the people who live here, reminds me of Stars Hollow.
When I moved here, ten years ago, I wasn’t expecting the support that I got from the community. I had people helping me move in by arranging boxes in whatever room they belonged in. Others were helping clean up the yard–weeding the flower beds that run along the front of my house and cleaning up the edges of the grass around the sidewalk leading to my front door.
Main Street is one of my favorite parts of town. Small shops line both sides of the road and there’s a large water fountain in the center of a roundabout at Main Street and Central Avenue.
The two places I frequent the most are Val’s Diner and The Daily Drip. The diner has been in town for many generations and is still operated by Val’s family. They serve just about anything you can think of. I’ve never had something I didn’t enjoy.
The Daily Drip, a cute coffee shop, just opened last year but has quickly become one of my favorite shops in town. Not only do they make the best coffee the environment is calming. I’ve come here to sit and sip on coffee while I finish up work for the day on many occasions.
I don’t live very far from work, thankfully. Once I’m on Main Street I drive three blocks and make a right, go another two blocks and my house is the first one on the left.
My home is quaint in comparison to the neighborhood, but it is all mine. The exterior is white siding with black shutters. My front door is surrounded by small, frosted windows–one of my favorite things about the exterior of my house. I’ve spent a lot of time on my curb appeal–adding bushes and black mulch along the front of my house. With my busy schedule, I can barely keep up with the maintenance of my flower beds. But even though it’s a work in progress, I love how my house stands up against the rest of the neighborhood.
Opening the front door I am blasted with the contrast of the temperature inside my house compared to the god-awful temperature outside.
I immediately change into some comfortable clothes before heading to the kitchen to pour myself that glass of wine I’ve been thinking about all day. Making my way to the living room, I grab my favorite blanket off the back of the couch, plop down, and turn on one of my favorite shows, Hart of Dixie .
Watching my comfort shows always helps blanket my mind from the daily struggles of life. After watching three episodes I decide it’s time to call it a night.
Although I do not have the energy to take off my makeup and clean my face, I walk around my bed towards the en suite bathroom. Tomorrow me will appreciate that I took the time to do this tonight.
As I curl up in bed, clean face and tangle-free hair, I fall into a deep sleep.
Stretching as I sit up in bed I realize just how refreshed I feel and how ready I am to tackle my to-do list. But first coffee.
I grab my phone off the nightstand, pull my feet over the edge of the bed, and place them into my slippers. I stop to grab my robe off the back of my door before walking down the hallway towards the kitchen.
My house is open concept with my kitchen being the heart of the home. I worked hard to create a space that I would love, one that would be my escape. I added a vintage feel with detailed walls and painted my lower cabinets a sage green. It took a lot of time but I’m proud of the work I’ve done to make this a reflection of me.
After finishing my coffee and eating breakfast I get to work on my list. I throw a load of clothes in the washer and pull my bed out to the middle of the room so that I can start painting what will be my accent wall.
I pull up Spotify on my phone and scroll through my playlists until I find the one labeled get shit done . Having music going in the background is just one way I numb my mind from my thoughts. It’s something I’ve always struggled with. No matter how hard I try to quiet the memories, good or bad, they’re always there, pulling me back under.
I’m finishing up the last section of my wall when the music stops playing and is replaced by the sound of my phone ringing.
‘Mom’ flashes across my screen. “Hey, mom–what’s up?” I breathe out as I rub my temples.
“Hey, sweetheart. I was just calling to see how your day is going.”
“It’s been a tiring but very productive day.”
“Your dad and I were just wondering when you’ll be down next. We’ve got a tote full of your stuff we’ve found.” Mom let out a shallow breath into the receiver.
Mom was dealing with her never-ending list, between the attic and the garage. My parents broke the news a few months ago that they were selling their house in Harbors Grove. My sister and I have been out on our own for years and they’re finally to a point where they want to downsize.
I love that house. It’s blessed me with many good memories but I know they’re getting older and don’t need 2800 square feet anymore. It will be bittersweet seeing them move out but I’m excited for my parents.
“I can drive down in the morning. I’ve completed my weekend to-do list, so tomorrow is wide open.”
“Oh, that’d be perfect. Let us know when you’re heading this way. I’ll see you tomorrow sweetie.”
“Will do, Mom. Love you.”
“Love you too, Callie.”
After hanging up the phone I’m pulled into a flashback of my childhood.
I’ve got boxes laid haphazardly across my bedroom floor and I’m doing my best to pack like items together so it will be easier on me when I start unpacking. I’ve got a few for my books, one for my decor, a couple for my shoes, and then I’ve got trash bags laid out so I can take my clothes out of the closet and leave them on hangers. Mom asked me to take my bedding off last and throw it in the hamper with everyone else’s and she’d wash them all when we got to the new house.
This week has been rough. I’ve had to say goodbye to my friends and neighbors who I’ve grown close with. Mrs. Parker next door is such a sweet lady, she’s like our extra grandma. She’s one of the few people that I will make a priority to come back and visit, besides my friends.
Yesterday was the last day of school and as I stood in the hallway at my locker packing it up, it hit me that packing my locker isn’t just the end of the school year. It’s the end of my time at that school. If I were staying in the same school, I wouldn’t have to fully clean it out since we have the same locker for all four years of high school.
I’m carefully packing up the last of the things in my room thinking about all the new things that are about to happen in my life. New people. New school. New town. New teachers. New friends… hopefully.
I don’t want to move away from the only home I’ve known. The only town I’ve known. Call me selfish but starting over somewhere new does not sound fun and exciting like my mom keeps telling me it will be.
I know my parents mean well and all… I just really don’t want to move. I’m all about staying in my comfort zone and less about stepping outside of it.