Suddenly Psychic (Glimmer Lake #1)(59)

It was Grimmer. How had Robin never noticed before? In her own bedroom, near the place she slept every night, Helen kept a crystal clear portrait of the town where she’d been born. The memory of it had been so crisp, she’d painted it in vivid oils. It must have hung on the wall for years, but Robin had never noticed it.

“Don’t you think she should go to the hospital?” Emma asked. Normally her daughter was confident and mature, but in that moment she sounded like the girl she still was.

“No, baby.” Robin stroked Helen’s hand. “Grandma wasn’t too happy when she had to go to the hospital last year. She made it clear with her lawyer and Dr. Cramer that she didn’t want that again.”

“But what if there’s bleeding or something?” Emma leaned on the foot of Helen’s bed. “Like, on her brain?”

“What would they do?” Robin said. “She’s ninety-five, Emma. She didn’t want any more surgeries.”

“But she’s still here,” Emma said. “Doesn’t that mean something? Couldn’t she get better?”

Robin turned to Emma. “I think it’s up to her. But Grandma was pretty clear with the doctor and her home-health aide on this. She didn’t want any major medical intervention.”

“But—”

“Come here.” Robin took Emma’s hand and walked out of the side door that led to the rose garden where Helen had been basking in the sun a few days before.

“I know it doesn’t seem fair.” Robin took Emma into her arms. “Trust me. I don’t want to let go of her either, but we have to respect what she wanted. She’s really old, Emma. And really frail. Her mind is all there, but she’s uncomfortable. She can’t do a lot of the things she enjoyed anymore, and she didn’t like being limited. She’d never want to be shut-in. She’d never want to live in a bed.”

Emma’s eyes were red. She bit her lip and nodded. “Did Dad call Austin?”

“Yeah. He’s driving down right now. So are Uncle Jack and Grandma’s brother, Uncle Raymond.”

Robin wanted her boy. Whatever their arguments were, Austin was her boy and she wanted him close. She wanted all her friends and family close. She hugged Emma tight and felt her daughter’s arms wrap tight around her body.

They walked back into Helen’s bedroom to sit with her. Emma found some of the big band jazz records that Helen loved and put one on the turntable.

Robin was about to text Monica and Val when Mark poked his head through the door. She could tell by his eyes that he was as wrecked as she was.

“Hey, Robin. Can you come out here for a second?”

She nodded and left Emma with her great-grandmother. Her mother was sitting at the kitchen table across from a woman in wine-colored scrubs. They both rose when Robin entered the room.

“Hey, Mom.” Robin walked straight to Grace and hugged her tight. “How’re you doing?”

Grace’s eyes were red, and she looked tired. And sad. But mostly tired.

“The nurse says…” Grace cleared her throat.

The nurse, a smiling woman with light brown hair pulled into a braid, stepped forward and held out her hand to Robin. “My name is Lily. I’m so sorry to be meeting you all right now, because I know it’s hard, but I have to say I admire your grandmother so much.” Lily let Robin’s hand go. “She is so independent and so sharp. She and Dr. Cramer contacted hospice about five months ago.”

“Hospice? Five months ago?” Robin looked at her mom. “Did you know about this? What was going on? Was she sick? Why wouldn’t she tell us if she was sick?”

“Hospice isn’t only for the dying,” Lily said. “It’s something Dr. Cramer recommended for Helen because your grandmother sensed that she was nearing the end and she didn’t want any extraordinary measures.”

Robin was confused. “Mom, did you know about this?”

Grace cleared her throat. “I suspected she’d arranged something. She could be so secretive.” Grace took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “She’s almost ninety-six and she fell last year. Mother was very realistic about her health.”

“As I said,” Lily continued, “Dr. Cramer and Helen reached out to us a few months ago and set everything in place for us to take care of her when she got to this point.” She smiled kindly. “So I think it’s safe to say that she might be feeling ready to go. The important thing right now is for her to feel surrounded by this family who obviously loves her so much.”

“We’re here.” Mark put his arm around Robin’s shoulders. “It’s Helen. We’re here for her no matter what.”

Lily smiled. “That’s what we like to hear. Just remember, this is a process. For her and for you. I and the other nurses are going to be here with all of you during that process. I’ve already contacted three of my best people to set up shifts so that someone will be with Helen around the clock from now on.”

“So…” Robin felt her throat start to close up. “She’s dying? That’s what you’re telling us.”

Lily smiled sadly. “She’s ninety-five, Mrs. Brannon. This is up to her now.”

Grace sniffed. “Leave it to Mother to make permanent plans without consulting any of us.”