The Memory Keeper: A Heartwarming, Feel-Good Romance(38)

“Knock, knock.” A nurse in yellow scrubs came into the room. “I need to check your vitals, Ms. Faye.” The nurse wheeled in the portable medical unit and parked it next to the bed. Then she addressed Hannah and Ethan. “I’m Lanelle, the day nurse,” she said with a wide, friendly smile, her teeth like a set of pearls against her dark skin. She walked around the bed and checked the IV bags, typing something in on one of the machines.

“I’m Hannah, Faye’s granddaughter. And this is Ethan.”

“Oh, so you’re Hannah. Ms. Faye hasn’t stopped talking about you since she found out you were comin’.” Lanelle placed two fingers on Gran’s wrist and looked at her watch. “And I already know Ethan. He’s been up here causin’ trouble for days,” she kidded.

“You’ll miss me when I’m gone,” he said back to her with a big grin.

Lanelle rolled her eyes playfully but then relented. “You might be right about that,” she said. “He was sweet one mornin’ and brought all the nurses coffee.”

“Suck-up,” Hannah called him, making Ethan and Lanelle laugh.

Lanelle leaned over Gran’s bed. “How you feelin’, Ms. Faye?”

Gran pouted. “I feel the same as I always do—antsy. When can I go home?”

“I know you’re lookin’ to get out of here, but we’ve gotta get you well first.”

“Have you been to the shop?” Gran asked Hannah, while Lanelle checked the IV ports in Gran’s arms. “How’s it looking?”

“I haven’t been yet,” Hannah replied honestly. When Gran’s face contorted with concern, she added, “But Mama’s been there the whole time. She’s got everything under control.”

“How are the geraniums on my front porch?” Gran asked, as Ethan pulled chairs for both of them to the side of the bed. He eyed Hannah, having obviously noticed when he was there that there were no geraniums on Gran’s porch.

“They could use a little TLC,” he said, covering for Hannah.

“See y’all later,” Lanelle said as she left the room. “Bye, Ms. Faye.”

“Bye, dear,” Gran called. Then she turned back to Hannah. “Don’t forget, you can go over to the nursery at Nell’s and grab some more if you need to. Buy them through the account they have on file for the shop.”

Hannah nodded. That account probably didn’t have any money to fund the purchase, but rather than get into it, Hannah changed the subject. “The cake Mom made with your recipe was delicious.”

“I’m so happy to hear that,” Gran said with a smile. “Did your mama put any out at the shop for Speckles?”

“The cat eats cake?” Hannah asked with a laugh.

“With milk,” Gran said, her chest bouncing lightly with her chuckle. “When the shop is closed, she finds her way to the house. Has she been hanging around?”

“I haven’t seen her,” Hannah replied. “But I just got here yesterday afternoon. Maybe Mama’s seen her. I’m sure she’s fed her.”

“Make sure there’s food and water,” Gran said.

“Don’t worry, Gran. I’ll go to the shop straight after this, and then I’ll be able to tell you more about what’s going on there, okay?”

Gran reached for her and Hannah came close. With near desperation in her eyes, Gran said to her, “Whatever happens, save the shop.”

“Hello-o,” Maura’s voice interrupted the moment. She walked in with a file folder and her handbag over her shoulder. “How is my favorite mother-in-law?” she asked, leaning in and kissing Gran’s cheek.

“Decent,” Gran said. “Now that Hannah’s here. She fixes everything, doesn’t she?” Gran winked at Hannah, a blanket of pleasantries sliding across her face.

“Yes, she does,” Hannah’s mother said with a doting look to Hannah, giving Ethan a friendly squeeze on the shoulders as she moved further into the room. “Hopefully Hannah can help with this,” her mother said, opening the file folder.

Hannah jumped up. “Mama!” she said. “I’ve already taken care of that old paperwork.”

“But—”

Hannah cut Maura off and took her arm. “Don’t worry Gran with silly purchase orders. I’ll fill them out for you. We can get it done in a second in the hallway. Ethan, chat with Gran while we get some work done really quickly.”

The skin between Maura’s eyes wrinkled with confusion, but she closed the file folder and followed Hannah into the hallway.

“Make sure you have enough baby’s breath,” Gran called. “I’m always running out.”

“Back in just a second,” Hannah told Gran and Ethan, before she slipped down the hallway with her mom.

“What’s this all about?” Maura asked. “I don’t have purchase orders.”

“I just couldn’t upset her. She seemed so desperate for me to save the shop. What exactly were you going to ask her to sign?”

“They’re the documents to release her from her lease at the end of the year—you know that.”

Hannah chewed on her lip.

Maura rubbed the top of Hannah’s arm. “You can’t keep all this from her forever. At some point she’s going to need to sign it. I know you don’t want to think about this, and God knows I don’t either,” she said, her voice breaking. “But if something happens to her, without her signature, it’s an ongoing lease. If she doesn’t sign it, and then she…” Her mother took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “According to their death clause, the responsibility for payment that year will fall on the beneficiary of the shop that she’s nominated on the rental agreement, which is your father. Your father and I will be responsible for a year of rent, and we can’t afford it. She doesn’t have anything left of her savings to cover it.”