Whispered Curses

I rushed to Mom's side, taking her hand. "Hi," I said gently.

She blinked slowly, then stared at me. “I can't believe you're here."

"Mrs. Palmer, do you feel like sitting up a little more?" Katy asked.

Mom nodded, and Katy raised the head of the bed and arranged her pillows perfectly. It was wonderful to see that Mom would be taken care of completely.

"There's water right here if she needs it, but only a little at first. I'll be in the hallway if you need me for anything," Katy said, leaving us alone.

"So, breaking my leg is a great way to get you out here to visit your grandmother," Mom chuckled weakly.

"No fair," I rolled my eyes. "You know how much it costs to fly out here."

Mom's face fell. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Eden."

"It's actually okay,” I grinned. “A friend of mine flew me here in his company's private jet."

Mom gave herself a shake, sitting up straighter. She was looking a bit more clear. "Friend? Is this a friend of the male persuasion?"

Drat this perfect lighting. There was no way she didn't see me blush furiously. Mom laughed a tiny bit. "What's his name?"

"Eric. I'll tell you all about him when you're a bit stronger and not hopped up on goofy juice or whatever they used on you." I pulled a chair over, then gripped her hand again. "I hope it wasn't too terrible."

Mom released a long low sigh, rolling her eyes. "The wor

st thing is it was my own bloody fault."

"Everyone trips sometimes, Mom."

"Yes, but I had a warning."

There was something in her tone that pointed out precisely what she meant, but I asked anyway. "What sort of warning?"

"I was at your grandmother’s for tea. She did that little zone out thing she does, and she said, ‘It’s okay to be hurt, you’ve got to share it with those who care’.”

"That could mean absolutely anything," I said.

She gave me a flat stare. "The day before, I had twisted my ankle a bit. I was cooking at Nick’s house, and sort of tripped over my own feet, landing on the side of my ankle. It hurt like heck. I knew I should have asked him to finish dinner, but I didn't want to be a bother since I was staying at his place. If I had sat down and put ice on it, it probably would have healed within a few hours."

I shook my head, knowing exactly what she meant. Much like me, my mother never wanted to rock the boat, or create waves. We never wanted to be a bother.

"So the next day, Nick called for me to come downstairs to help him with something. In my rush, my ankle turned and I missed a step." She winced at the memory. "The pain was crazy, but knowing that it was my own stupid fault scared me even more."

"It wasn't your fault, Mom."

She gave me that look. That special mother expression with one partially raised eyebrow that stated she knew I was full of crap. “Our family understands that you don't go against The Knowing," she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "We don't ignore those unusual little messages."

"There's absolutely no scientific evidence of psychic powers ever proven,” I said, trying to sound more sure than I was.

"Well, the proof is in the pudding," she said. "Or in this case, the broken leg."

She squeezed my hand hard, looking at me intently. "Eden, promise me. Promise me that you will always obey Nana’s whispers."

My eyes snapped shut and I felt my face clench.

"Oh god, Eden… What have you done?"

Forcing myself to look into her eyes, she was positively horrified. "Did you do something that was against… You know?"