“Afternoon, ma’am.” He nodded his head politely.
“Mama, this is Matthew.” Charlie said, patting the withered hand in her mother’s lap. “A good friend of mine.”
“Your sister came to visit me yesterday.” The old woman began to rock, her mouth trying to manage a smile.
Charlie nodded, playing along. “What did Charlotte have to say?”
“She’s with child again, it’ll be her third baby. Her husband brought me flowers, big waxy gardenias. Their family is doing real well.”
Reaching into a pocket, Charlie pulled out a piece of paper, holding it up for her mother to see. “She sure is. I got a letter from her right here.”
Matthew could see it was just a list of recipes Charlie had copied from a magazine when they were on the train, but she held it up with a smile and pretended to read good news. “Seems she thinks it’s a girl… wants to name her Evangeline after you, Mama.”
“Said they might buy a house in town, that green one by the park we used to walk past,” the woman added, speaking nonsense.
“That’s what it says right here. Need more room for the new baby.” Though her voice was soft and happy, Matthew could see dejection sloping Charlotte’s shoulders.
“When you gonna settle down?” The woman looked at her child, seeing the son who’d died a long time ago.
“I think I’ll leave all that to Charlotte,” Charlie took on the tone of a man getting pressured by his mother. “You’re my girl, no one else would compare.”
“You’re a good boy, Charles.” Evangeline’s one eye fogged over and the woman was gone.
Charlie knew it was time to say goodbye, cautious not to overexcite her mother.
As she prepared to leave, the nurse next to Matthew whispered, “It’s good you’re here. Mr. Pearson takes it hard when Miss Evangeline has delusions about his sister.”
Charlie passed a note to the nurse, detailing the location of his sister and how to reach her in case of emergency, and left, Matthew trailing behind.
When they were in the car, Charlie was wrung out and tried to explain, “She only tells the story of what she wished for herself… and it changes. I hope it didn’t bother you.”
Matthew asked gently, “Why not go to her as a woman, Charlotte?”
Sapphire eyes filled with pain. “I tried, more than once. But her idea of Charlotte is not me. Each time, it set her off into a real bad episode… She became a danger to herself. In her mind, Charlotte is a woman who tours Europe and is married to a rich man—a really grand lady. It’s safer to indulge her fantasy.”
Pondering over what he’d heard, Matthew spoke without thinking, “You want to name your first baby girl Evangeline?”
Charlie’s eyes shot towards him, no longer sad, but furious.
Stupidly, he just asked, “You don’t want children?”
Charlie braked the car outside the garage and got out.
Unaccustomed to others walking away as he spoke, Matthew tried to rein in his temper, chasing her all the way up the stairs to the piece of shit apartment she kept. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes so hard little wrinkles showed at the corners. “Leave me be, Matthew. I am warning you.”
Once the door was shut, he demanded, “I asked you a question.”
“Fuck you, Matthew Emerson,” she barked crossing to the bed to take off her boots.
Approaching her with his own mad scowl, Matthew watched Charlie struggle, trying to kick her damn boot off.
“Tell me why you’re angry.” Ignoring her nasty expression, kneeling, he took her foot and picked the knot. “I mention children and you go off half-cocked.”
Wiping her nose on her sleeve, she said nothing.
“So I ask you,” he looked up and met her eyes with a stern set to his brow, “why that set you off?”