“I’ll be fine,” Mother insisted. “Please, Teddy. Don’t make me feel like any more of a burden on you all than I am.”
“You’re not a burden, Arianna.”
“That’s what I told her,” Uncle Perry said.
Cassie made a show of looking at her watch. “Mother is due to take a pill now, and I’d like her to rest before I bring up her dinner. She has to eat more. I’ve made those cupcakes you
made for Daddy a while back, Mother. I’ll be bringing you one.”
“Are you staying for dinner, Uncle Perry?” I asked, hoping he would say yes.
“I’m afraid I have to get back. I still have some work on the displays and some arrangements to complete for tomorrow, but thank you for asking, Sam.” He glanced pointedly at Cassie, but she looked disinterested and unashamed that she hadn’t asked him to dinner.
“I’ll sit with her a while and make sure she’s resting,” Daddy said, moving toward Mother.
Uncle Perry returned to her side just held her hand for a moment and looked at her.
“Please get better soon, Arianna. Everyone needs you back.”
Mother didn’t speak, didn’t smile. She simply stared at him. He leaned over to kiss her cheek and whisper something, and then he started out.
“I’ll walk you to your car, Uncle Perry.” I hurried after him.
He charged at the stairway and didn’t speak to me until we were well out of earshot. He turned at the bottom of the stairs and looked up.
“I don’t like it, Sam. I don’t want to alarm you, but Cassie is taking on too much responsibility here. Your father should have hired another nurse or had her readmitted. She is in a deep depression. She shouldn’t be this way so long after the miscarriage. As I understand it, she hasn’t left that room since she was brought home, not even to go out and get some fresh air, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then, talk your father into getting someone else immediately, will you?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’ll try.” He was saying what I felt and was afraid to say. It made my heart thump and my stomach swirl. We walked out, and he kissed me good-bye.
When he opened the car door to get in, he paused and smiled. “I’m sure it will be all right, Sam. I don’t mean to get you overly alarmed. I’m just … not used to seeing her like that, and your sister … your sister makes me feel like an outsider. I don’t want to start any trouble between you, but when it comes to being nice and loving, you’re miles above her, and right now, your mother needs a lot of tender loving care.”
He got in, started his engine, waved, and drove off. I watched him go, feeling as if I was coming apart where I stood. I wanted to run after him and shout, Don’t go, Uncle Perry. You’re right. Stay here and convince Daddy. I can’t do it by myself, and Cassie wouldn’t like it.
I actually took a few steps forward, but he was already at the bottom of the driveway and preparing to turn out of the gate. In seconds, he was gone. My heart sank. I stood looking after him until I heard the front door open.
“What are you doing standing around out there?” Cassie shouted. “We haven’t finished the kitchen yet.”
I didn’t turn around immediately. I was afraid that if I did, I might start screaming at her, and who knew what would happen then? Daddy would certainly be very upset if Cassie and I had words. I had no choice. I took a deep breath, lowered my head, and started back to the house.
“Did you see how fast your uncle Perry ran out of here when I mentioned giving her the medicine?” Cassie asked as I drew closer. “I told you he hasn’t the stomach for any really difficult problems. He’s like a high-strung woman or something. If he had to deal with one-tenth of what Daddy deals with daily, he’d be in a loony bin himself.”
“You didn’t make him feel all that comfortable, Cassie,” I said.
“Oh, pardon me. I guess I should have considered his delicate feelings more than what Daddy and Mother need.” She put her hands on her hips and wagged her head as she continued. “If he doesn’t have the common sense and the sensitivity to see how difficult things are for us now, I couldn’t possibly care less about his discomfort.”
When I turned to continue toward the kitchen, she reached out and pulled me around.
“You listen to me. Men like him are very self-centered, Semantha. Don’t get caught up in his show of affection. When you scratch the surface of all that, you’ll find it’s all a façade or, as Daddy says, as phony as a two-headed nickel.’”
“That’s not true or fair,” I said, turning away again.
“Believe what you want, but you’ll see how right I am when it comes time for him to do something for you in a crisis,” she insisted, following me.
I didn’t respond. I returned to the kitchen to finish the work as she wanted. She went to complete her preparations for Mother’s dinner and then our dinner afterward. Before she carried up Mother’s tray, she turned to me.