Mama smiled. “I was hoping . . .”
“Let’s not talk about the past now, Mama. Let’s talk about your getting up and around again as quickly as you can.”
“Yes, yes . . .” Mama smiled, and then her face reflected her discomfort. “I think it’s time for one of my pills,” she said.
I looked to the nurse, who was watching us. She nodded and started around the counter. We both stepped back as she gave Mama her medicine.
“Has her doctor been here yet?” Roxy asked the nurse.
“Not yet. She’s doing fine,” she added. She smiled at me and returned to her station.
Roxy tightened the corners of her mouth and glanced at me.
“Are you going to look after her while I’m in here?” Mama asked Roxy.
“Her? You brought her up right. She can look after herself and me,” Roxy said.
Mama nodded and smiled and reached for my hand. “You don’t have to tell me anything,” Mama said to Roxy. “It’s just so wonderful to have you here.”
“I’m fine, Mama. Just think about yourself for once, will you?”
Mama looked at her and nodded, and then she turned to me. “Have you spoken to Aunt Lucy? Did she call?”
“Oh. I don’t know. I didn’t check the answering machine, Mama.”
“It’s all right. We don’t know what to tell her yet anyway,” Mama said.
I looked at Roxy. Was it possible she knew more?
Mama’s medicine began to take effect. I could see her eyelids weakening. She took a deep breath and lowered herself to the pillow.
“You need to rest a lot right now, Mama,” Roxy said. “We’ll go get some lunch and return. How’s that?”
Mama nodded. She wanted to keep alert, to talk, to enjoy the sight of her two daughters together at last, but her body was shutting down again.
“Dieu merci, tu as été retourné,” Mama said, almost in a whisper. I looked at Roxy. She understood, of course. “Thank God, you have come back.”
I leaned over to kiss Mama.
Roxy hesitated and then did the same.
We started out together.
“Have I?” she asked herself as we left the ICU.
“Have you what?”
“Come back?”
I didn’t know what to say.
I wouldn’t for some time yet.
16
Roxy and I returned to the hospital after lunch. Dr. Hoffman had been in to see Mama. One look at her face told us that he had explained everything. She did her best to hide the truth from us, not knowing that Dr. Hoffman had already spoken to us. She told us that he said she would have to stay a while and then come in for some treatments, but everything would be fine. Roxy said nothing to contradict her, and neither did I.
Mama didn’t ask Roxy any questions about her life now, and Roxy didn’t volunteer any detailed information. She did ask Mama about our French relatives, and Mama went on about them, happy to talk about her family. We stayed until the nurse told us we should let her rest, and Roxy invited me to have dinner with her. She did so in front of Mama so Mama would know we were going to spend time together.