Chapter 6
BY THE TIME ZONA HAD FINISHED dealing with the spilled water and her mother’s frustration, she felt like she’d been chained and dragged by wild horses over a rocky mountain trail.
Sleep. She needed sleep. And sleep she did, the dreamless dead sleep of a woman whose life roller-coaster ride had taken one final turn too many and who wanted off.
Come morning she was back on the roller coaster, calling in to work and leaving a message for her supervisor explaining her need for the week off. Then giving Louise a pain pill and helping her to the bathroom.
And speaking of bathroom, Darling needed to go out. Zona had a poop pick-up bag in hand and Darling leashed up and ready to go when she opened the door to hear a raised male voice coming her way from the new neighbor’s house.
“Shit!” said the voice. It wasn’t a shout, but it was loud enough for her to hear.
Darling was prancing and whining next to her, but she pulled him close and peeked out the front door. There stood the new neighbor next to his truck. He was dressed in work boots, jeans, and a T-shirt that showed off those beautifully sculpted pecs and arms. Ready for work. Ready to start the day.
Until encountering the present Darling had left the night before. Which Zona had completely forgotten about.
If only Darling had at least done his doggy business on the man’s lawn, he wouldn’t have stepped in it.
Or seen it. He certainly should have seen it there on the driveway.
The phone in his hand was a big clue as to why he hadn’t.
He’d probably been texting on his way to his truck.
Not expecting to encounter a mess from a dog he didn’t own on his driveway.
He inspected the bottom of his boot, then lifted his head and looked her direction. His scowl felt like a laser beam shooting right at her and she ducked behind the door and quietly shut it. Way to foster good relations with the neighbor.
“We’ll walk later,” she said to Darling, and escorted him out the back door into the backyard for his bathroom break.
Darling bounded out and got busy marking his territory. He’d be fine out there for a little while, she decided, and went back to check on her mother.
As she went, she wondered if there was a way she could try to blame the poo present Darling had left next door on some mysterious dog from some other house. Probably not, since Darling was the only one living on their street.
She’d have to go over later and apologize. But first she had her mother to deal with.
She found Louise perched on the edge of her bed, leaning on her crutches and scowling. Her hair looked like a rat’s nest.
“Just shoot me now,” she grumbled.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Zona said. Her poor mother.
“Oh, don’t listen to me. I’m just grumpy,” said Louise.
“You have every right to be,” Zona assured her.
“In some ways, yes. But it really could be worse. I didn’t break my nose. Or my neck. I’m still alive.” She looked sadly up at Zona. “I’m sorry I’ve tipped your life upside down.”
Zona couldn’t help but laugh. “My life was already upside down, and I did a pretty good job of tilting yours when I moved in.”
“Nonsense. I’m happy to have you. And I’m grateful you’re here. I’m just sorry I’m adding to your troubles.”
“I guess we’re equally sorry,” Zona said, and managed a smile. “We’ll get through this, and we’ll be fine. Now, which would you like first, a sponge bath or breakfast?”
“Breakfast,” Louise said. “But first, the potty. My big, exciting life.”
Yeah, they were both living the life.
Zona had just assembled ingredients for an omelet when she heard the stump-stumping of Louise’s crutches. She looked so different from how she’d looked when Zona had dropped her off for her big adventure. Maybe Zona’s bad luck was rubbing off on her mother.
“Are you going to have an omelet, too?” Louise asked. “I have a feeling you’re going to need your energy.”
What Zona would have liked was a big, fat Cinnabon cinnamon roll. Pricey treats were now a thing of the past.
“Yes,” Zona said. “And toast.” Toast with jam. It wasn’t the same as a cinnamon roll, but it would have to do. Maybe she’d attempt to make cinnamon rolls while she was home.
“Toast,” Louise said, and sighed. “I should be eating fancy pastries and fresh pineapple.”
“Who knows? You could have ended up with some stomach bug on the ship and been eating nothing but dry toast,” Zona said, trying to spin the situation.
Louise wasn’t having it. She scowled at her daughter.
Okay, so much for that. Zona shut her mouth and concentrated on serving breakfast.
“That was delicious,” Louise told her after she’d finished. “But then you always were an excellent cook.”
“It’s hard to mess up an omelet,” said Zona, and took the last bite of hers.
Thanks to Zona stocking up, they’d had an onion in the fridge as well as green bell peppers and tomatoes.
Zona would have loved to add some fresh thyme, but she’d had to part with her garden when she’d parted with her house.
Someone else was now enjoying her herbs and would be harvesting her tomatoes and zucchini.
At least she had access to Meyer lemons and oranges from Louise’s tree when they were in season.
Maybe someday she’d have a house again, with fruit trees in the backyard.
When she was ninety. She frowned at her empty plate and picked it up, along with Louise’s, taking them to the dishwasher. “Let’s see if we can get you all dressed and gorgeous.”
“With my new fashion statement,” Louise said sourly.
Yep, they were both having fun.
Helping her mother with a sponge bath felt awkward, but they managed.
“I guess if I want to wash my hair I’ll be stuck using the kitchen sink,” Louise said with a sigh.
“Or dry shampoo?”
“Yuck.”
“It won’t be long before you can shower,” Zona said, hoping to encourage her.
The idea of getting her in and out of the shower and keeping her from falling once the permanent cast was on made her nervous.
“I’m ordering a shower chair today,” she added.
A visual sign that this phase of Louise’s misery would soon come to an end.
“Ugh. Those are for old people,” Louise muttered.
“And for people who’ve broken a leg,” said Zona.
Once Louise was dressed, Zona settled her on the couch with a second cup of coffee and the TV remote and slipped off to the kitchen to settle at the table with a second coffee of her own and see about getting some help.
It appeared that, indeed, Louise would be able to afford someone to come in and hang out with her during the day, assist her with showers and make sure she didn’t starve. Things were looking up.
Until Zona’s first three calls to agencies that provided such help proved fruitless. It seemed everyone in Southern California needed in-home care.
After she’d refilled Louise’s coffee cup a third time and failed on her fourth attempt to find someone, she called Gracie to vent.
“Poor Louise,” said Gracie.
“Poor both of us,” Zona amended. “I don’t think my mom’s cut out to be an invalid and I’m sure I’m not cut out to be a nurse.”
“I might know somebody,” Gracie said thoughtfully. “My Aunt Gilda does that kind of thing. She quit the agency she was working for a couple of months back, but maybe she’d be willing to help you guys. She’s a nurse, but she got burned out on hospital work during COVID.”
“Why’d she quit the agency?” Zona asked.
“She claimed they were sending her to take care of creepy old guys who kept hitting on her.”
“Really?”
“Did I mention that Aunt Gilda is a legend in her own mind?”
“So, we could have a legend helping us out?”
“That you could.”
“Give me her number.”
Five minutes later Zona had left a message on Aunt Gilda’s phone and was working on making lunch.
Louise claimed she wasn’t hungry, so maybe she ate the grilled Gouda cheese and apple sandwich Zona made her just to be polite. After that it was another trip to the bathroom.
“Now I wish I’d done my pelvic floor exercises,” Louise muttered as they made their way to the living room when she’d finished.
“I’m glad to see your sense of humor is returning,” Zona said.
“Who said I’m joking?” Louise retorted. She studied Zona. “How are you doing with all of this?”
“I’m fine,” Zona said. “I’ve got a call in for someone to come help you next week when I’m back at work.”
Louise did not look pleased. “A stranger helping me bathe and dress? I’m sure not looking forward to that. Wait. Is he young and handsome?”
“See? Your sense of humor is returning.”
“You keep saying that. Tell me about this person.”
“He is a she and she’s not young. It’s Gracie’s aunt.”
Louise sighed. “Maybe I won’t need help once I get a shower chair.”
So far Louise wasn’t doing all that well with maneuvering herself onto chairs. She half fell onto the couch with a grunt. Yes, leave this woman home alone. Great idea.
“I don’t want you stuck here all by yourself when I’m working,” Zona said firmly, and her mother frowned and looked out the window. The frown turned to surprise. “Oh, my gosh, Darling,” she said, sounding panicked.
Zona had been so busy with her mother she’d forgotten all about the dog. “He’s in the backyard.” Wasn’t he?
Louise leaned toward the window and squinted, shook her head vehemently. “Zona, he’s loose!”
Zona looked out the window. Sure enough, there went Darling, trotting down the sidewalk. His second escape in twenty-four hours. Great.
“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll go fetch him,” Zona said, and started for the door.
“Hurry, before he gets run over,” Louise said, panicked.
Zona rushed out the front door and reached the porch in time to see Darling trotting toward Martin’s house, probably in hopes of finding a treat, since Martin spoiled him nearly as much as Louise.
“Darling!” Zona called, racing down the front walk.
Darling ignored her. He had places to go, people to see.
“Treat,” she called. “Come get a treat!” She should have thought to grab a dog biscuit out of the cupboard.