Suddenly Psychic (Glimmer Lake #1)(60)

Mark laughed. “She knew how to keep a secret.”

Oh, you two have no idea…

Robin felt like everything was happening at once. They’d gone from talking about getting Grandma Helen some live-in help to having round-the-clock nursing care in the space of a few hours. Was this how dying happened? Everything all at once?

“What do we do now?” Robin asked the nurse.

She felt adrift. She knew how to schedule her grandmother’s doctors’ appointments and how to get her in and out of cars comfortably. She knew what food Helen liked and how she liked her coffee prepared.

But Robin had no idea how to help Grandma Helen die. She didn’t want Helen to die. As selfish as it might be, she wanted to keep her grandmother forever.

“For now,” Lily said, “I want you to relax about any of the practical details. Don’t worry about helping her in and out of bed. Don’t worry about her medications or pain relief. We are here to take care of that. You need to focus on her.”

Robin thought about her last conversation with Grandma Helen.

“Are you happy here?”

“I love this spot. I love the view. The house is too big. I told Gordon that, but he never listened.”

“We need to make sure to keep the drapes open,” Robin murmured.

“Good idea.” Mark squeezed her hand. “She loved the view.”

“That’s great,” Lily said. “Play music she likes. You could read books to her, or letters from family. She might be in and out for a while, but even if she seems asleep, she’s still with you. She’s still processing all this, just like you are.”

“Should we just plan on being here?” Mark asked. “I mean, it’s a big house.” He looked between Grace and Robin. “Why don’t we just bring stuff over and stay with her?”

The wave of gratitude Robin felt almost knocked her over. Some men might balk at disrupting their lives to care for their wife’s dying grandmother. Not Mark. Not even for a second.

Robin walked straight into his arms and didn’t try to stop the tears. Mark hugged her tightly.

“We’ll be here.” He rubbed her back. “We’ll pack some things and move in.”

Robin talked into his shoulder. “It could be days. Or weeks. We don’t know—”

“It’s not like we’re moving across the state.” He stroked her hair back from her forehead. “It’s just across town. And she needs us. We’ll be here until… until she’s ready to go.”

“Dad and I will do that too,” Grace said. “Besides, the holidays are coming. We should all be together.”





“We’re going to stay here?” Emma’s eyes were wide. “At Russell House?”

“Yeah,” Robin said. “Your dad suggested it, and Grandma Helen needs us close. There’s plenty of space.”

“Yeah but…”

They rarely stayed at Russell House. A few times during holidays, or sometimes when the kids had been little. They’d had campouts in the front yard during summers and had spent countless hours at Russell House’s private beach.

But living in the grand old mansion, all together?

“Is Austin staying here too?”

“Yes.”

Emma stared out the window. “So we’re all staying here. Together. In Russell House.”

Robin frowned. “Is everything all right?”

“Do we have to stay on the third floor?” Emma was pale. “It’s cold.”

“No. There are plenty of rooms on the second floor.”

Emma nodded and seemed to relax. “Okay. That’s okay then.”

Whoa. What was going on? “Em, is everything okay?”

“I just had really scary nightmares when I stayed here as a kid. But I know it was my imagination.” Emma shook her head. “And it was only on the third floor. I’m not little anymore. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

Robin was reminded of the eerie hallway that led to the attic. She let her daughter wander back to the kitchen where Grace was already cooking chili. She walked outside and called Monica.

She picked up after two rings. “Hey. Mark already called me and Val when he went to the house to get your stuff. What do you need?”

“Company maybe? But I don’t want to bother Val. I know she’s busy.”

“She’ll be there when she can. She was finishing homework duty with the boys. I’ll bring a breakfast casserole over so you guys have some backup for tomorrow.”

“I love you so much.” She blinked back tears. Everyone needed best friends like Monica and Val. Everyone.

“Is Emma there? Does she need to go anywhere for school or anything? Do you need help driving?”

“No, she’s here. She’s okay. But…” What to make of Emma’s reaction to staying at Russell House? What to make of her nightmares and reluctance?

“What is it?”

Robin glanced over her shoulder at the hulking mansion overlooking Glimmer Lake. “Monica, I think there’s something weird in this house. I don’t know what it is, but I want to find out.”

“We’ll get together and sort it out tomorrow with Val,” Monica said. “Right now, focus on your mom and the family.”