once been a neat and tidy living room was now a disorganized mess of books, magazines, knitting projects, and half-drunk coffee mugs and water bottles. The coffee table was overflowing with sales catalogs, and the couch and chairs held numerous articles of clothing from jackets to sweaters to shirts and jeans.
"Mom?" she called.
There was no answer despite the fact that every light in the living room was on, but she did hear the sound of the television coming from the combination kitchen/family room, so she headed down the hall.
Her mother, Debbie Barrett, was snoozing on the couch in her nightgown and robe. She was half-sitting, half-lying against the cushions while the television blared an infomercial on some new miracle skin care cream.
As Katherine moved closer, she could see how thin her mother had gotten. She must have shed at least fifteen pounds in the past year. Her once thick and beautiful blonde hair had grayed, and her skin had a sallow tone to it. As she dozed in front of the television, small snores escaped from her slightly droopy open mouth.
This woman barely resembled her once vibrant mother. Debbie was only sixty-five years old, but she appeared closer to eighty now.
Had TJ told her things were this bad, or had her mother gone suddenly downhill? She certainly hadn't looked this bad when Katherine had last been home, but that was three months ago. She really should have come back sooner.
Glancing around the room, her gaze caught on the window. A middle-aged woman wearing gray slacks and a white blouse stood on the back deck. She was on the telephone and seemed completely oblivious of Katherine's presence. That must be the caregiver.
Turning back to her mother, Katherine sat down on the couch next to her. "Mom," she said quietly.
Debbie Barrett jerked at the word, her eyes flying open. She looked dazed and scared as she blinked rapidly and then sat up straight. "What?"
"It's me, Katherine," she said soothingly.
"Katherine?" her mom echoed, her gaze still bemused, but the fear slowly leaving her eyes. "Katherine," she repeated, more fully cognizant now as her eyes found their focus. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to visit you," she said, relieved that her mother recognized her. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. I don't know where all my energy has gone."
"It's early in the morning. I shouldn't have woken you."
"What time is it?"
"About seven."
Debbie pulled her robe more tightly around her body. "When did you get here?"
"A few minutes ago."
"I don't understand. Did you tell me you were coming? Did I forget?" Her mother's brows knit together in puzzlement.
"No, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision." She debated what else she wanted to say. She didn't want to worry her mom, but it was possible her mother knew something about TJ's situation. According to her brother, there were times when Debbie was lucid, when she and TJ had coherent conversations. Whether she could remember any of those discussions was another matter. "I got a call from TJ last night," she continued. "He seemed upset. Do you know where he is?"
Debbie's gaze narrowed, and she frowned. "I think he told me. I can't remember."
"That's okay. Don't stress out," she said, seeing the frustration in her mother's eyes.
"The hats—they wear the hats." Her mom grabbed her arm. "And they take a nap in the middle of the day. What is that called?"
"A siesta?" she guessed.
"Yes," she said, clarity coming into her eyes. "Mexico. He went to Mexico for work."
That corresponded to what TJ had told her, not that she understood what her brother would be doing down there. "What kind of work would TJ do in Mexico?" she asked.
"I don't know—maybe a conference? TJ is a genius, but I don't understand what he actually does every day."
Her brother was an engineer for Mission Defense Technology, otherwise known as MDT, a huge corporate defense contractor in Corpus Christi, but Katherine didn't really know
"Mom?" she called.
There was no answer despite the fact that every light in the living room was on, but she did hear the sound of the television coming from the combination kitchen/family room, so she headed down the hall.
Her mother, Debbie Barrett, was snoozing on the couch in her nightgown and robe. She was half-sitting, half-lying against the cushions while the television blared an infomercial on some new miracle skin care cream.
As Katherine moved closer, she could see how thin her mother had gotten. She must have shed at least fifteen pounds in the past year. Her once thick and beautiful blonde hair had grayed, and her skin had a sallow tone to it. As she dozed in front of the television, small snores escaped from her slightly droopy open mouth.
This woman barely resembled her once vibrant mother. Debbie was only sixty-five years old, but she appeared closer to eighty now.
Had TJ told her things were this bad, or had her mother gone suddenly downhill? She certainly hadn't looked this bad when Katherine had last been home, but that was three months ago. She really should have come back sooner.
Glancing around the room, her gaze caught on the window. A middle-aged woman wearing gray slacks and a white blouse stood on the back deck. She was on the telephone and seemed completely oblivious of Katherine's presence. That must be the caregiver.
Turning back to her mother, Katherine sat down on the couch next to her. "Mom," she said quietly.
Debbie Barrett jerked at the word, her eyes flying open. She looked dazed and scared as she blinked rapidly and then sat up straight. "What?"
"It's me, Katherine," she said soothingly.
"Katherine?" her mom echoed, her gaze still bemused, but the fear slowly leaving her eyes. "Katherine," she repeated, more fully cognizant now as her eyes found their focus. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to visit you," she said, relieved that her mother recognized her. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. I don't know where all my energy has gone."
"It's early in the morning. I shouldn't have woken you."
"What time is it?"
"About seven."
Debbie pulled her robe more tightly around her body. "When did you get here?"
"A few minutes ago."
"I don't understand. Did you tell me you were coming? Did I forget?" Her mother's brows knit together in puzzlement.
"No, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision." She debated what else she wanted to say. She didn't want to worry her mom, but it was possible her mother knew something about TJ's situation. According to her brother, there were times when Debbie was lucid, when she and TJ had coherent conversations. Whether she could remember any of those discussions was another matter. "I got a call from TJ last night," she continued. "He seemed upset. Do you know where he is?"
Debbie's gaze narrowed, and she frowned. "I think he told me. I can't remember."
"That's okay. Don't stress out," she said, seeing the frustration in her mother's eyes.
"The hats—they wear the hats." Her mom grabbed her arm. "And they take a nap in the middle of the day. What is that called?"
"A siesta?" she guessed.
"Yes," she said, clarity coming into her eyes. "Mexico. He went to Mexico for work."
That corresponded to what TJ had told her, not that she understood what her brother would be doing down there. "What kind of work would TJ do in Mexico?" she asked.
"I don't know—maybe a conference? TJ is a genius, but I don't understand what he actually does every day."
Her brother was an engineer for Mission Defense Technology, otherwise known as MDT, a huge corporate defense contractor in Corpus Christi, but Katherine didn't really know
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