CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Jill
Monday Evening
“How are you doing?” Jill asked.
“A little better.” The room was full dark, and Jocelyn appeared as nothing more than a tangle of sheets kicked to the foot of the bed.
“Can I get you anything?”
“How about a guillotine? I’d let the damn thing roll at this point.”
“At least you still have your sense of humor.”
“You think I’m joking?”
“Have you eaten?”
“Couldn’t possibly.” The form shifted and took shape. A white calf emerged from under the blanket. “How’s Mom?”
“They did a biopsy. It involved drilling a hole into her skull.”
Jocelyn groaned. “I think I know how she feels.”
“They removed a tiny sample and now they’re freezing it, and slicing it, and looking at it under a microscope. We’ll know more tomorrow.” Jill explained about the possibility of a full-scale operation on Friday.
“I’m so sorry I’ve abandoned you.”
“You couldn’t help it.”
“How’s Mom handling it all?”
“She had a bad episode earlier in the day, but she’s blissfully drugged for now.”
“Thank God for the pioneers of modern pharmaceuticals.” Jocelyn scratched herself up the length of the bed. “Did you find Victor for me?”
“Yes. He said he’d take a rain check.” Jill dropped into a chair next to the bed. “What are you doing, Jocelyn? The guy at the wake, and then Keith, and now this guy? Why? You’re leaving soon, aren’t you? What’s the point?”
Jocelyn exhaled loudly. “The point? The point is life is short.” She rolled to her side. “And to set the record straight, Keith doesn’t count.”
Jill pursed her lips. “He was your date to my game night.”
Jocelyn laughed sharply. “Oh. That was all for your benefit. All the guy could talk about was you. Anyway, I brought him just to pop your cork.”
“What? Why?”
“You gotta admit, it made you jealous.” Jocelyn pushed into a sitting position, resting against the headboard.
“I was not jealous.”
“Oh, please. If you were to pine any more for the guy, we could hang ornaments on you. And he’s no better. You should have seen his face when I hinted that Victor fancied you. He went all red and blotchy and changed the subject.”
This new information buzzed through Jill’s head. “And you and Victor?”
“Oh yes, me and Victor.” She rubbed her palms together. “Me and Victor on his motorcycle. Me and Victor in his room. And me and Victor down by the pond.”
“Jocelyn!”
“What? He’s completely unattached. Not looking for anything more.” Jocelyn stretched her legs in front of her. “Anyway, life is short, remember?”
“All too well.” Jill opened the curtains. “How about something to drink?”
“Fee brought me some tea.”
“That was nice of her.”
“Yeah, except she seemed a little pissed at me.”
“Welcome to my life.”
“She said Keith stayed and helped you out this morning. Made muffins and scoured toilets.”
Jill could feel her voice tighten. “He did.”
“How much more proof do you need?”
“He wouldn’t do it again.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Some things came up at the hospital. To quote him: ‘It changed everything.’ I don’t think he’ll be coming back. Ever.”
“What? After all my hard work. How bad could it be?”
“Bad.”
“What was it about?”
“Mom’s been having episodes, remembering things, reliving the past. When we found her at the cabin, she thought Keith was his father, William. She said it was their secret meeting place. Keith’s dad was around the winter Mom got pregnant. After I shared my suspicions with Keith, he took off.” Jill shook her curls. “I don’t blame him. Somehow we always manage to involve him in our mess.”
“Well, if it’s true, it’s not just our mess anymore.”
“Except he doesn’t believe it. He said so with his feet.”
Jocelyn stroked her eyebrows. “Seriously? You two missed again? I don’t understand it. I’m never wrong about these things. And the chemistry is there. You guys were my first, and have always been my strongest, reading.”
“Not strong enough, I guess.”
Jocelyn crossed her arms. “Maybe too strong, crazy as that sounds.”
“Nothing sounds crazy to me anymore,” Jill said.