| |
––––––––
Mika walked into her manager’s office with a sense of dread. “Ma’am, could I have a word?”
Although Mika wasn’t military, the battle-axe who ran their department was. Every day she came to work, hoping with thirty-five years of service, Vickers would announce her retirement. Although Mika didn’t drink, she knew she’d be tossing a few back the day she heard those words.
Lieutenant Vickers sat back in her chair with a churlish expression. “What is it, Mika? And why are you late?”
Mika didn’t bother to sit in the guest chair. “Ma’am, I’d like the week off. I’m ahead on my current project for Commsec.”
“Sorry, Mika. If you’re finished, then I have another job for you.”
“Ma’am, my mother had a severe stroke. I have to find her a care facility.”
Vickers sat forward. “Sorry to hear that,” she said without an inch of empathy, “but you can do that on your time off. I can’t approve the leave.”
“I don’t have a choice. She’s incapacitated. I have to find her something where she’ll be comfortable and cared for.” Vickers scared the crap out of her, but she wasn’t going to back down. “You have a duty to accommodate in family-related matters. You can’t deny me the leave.” She said it firmly and knew when she returned to work Vickers would ride her for at least a couple months.
Vickers mouth tightened into a thin line. “Fine,” she growled. “One week.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
She backed out of her office and bolted for the door. She jogged to the car, where Stevie waited. Kevin was working remotely from Mika’s place. She and her sister had one more day to find a facility for their mother, or the hospital would deposit her in the next available place.
Cain shook his head when she’d tried to return the keys of the SUV to him after picking Stevie up at the airport. “Keep it,” he’d said. He’d been too good to her and her family.
“What’s wrong, Stevie?” she asked, sliding in behind the wheel.
“Just got off the phone with Golden Years Extended Healthcare. It’s at the top of that list I made last night. They don’t have room for her and said they’ve got a year and a half waiting list.” She shrugged and looked sadly out the window.
“Okay, well let’s go see the second best.”
Stevie shook her head. “Called them, too.” She bunched the paper in her hand. “I called them all and stopped when I got to the ones that had bad reports from family members concerning the care of their loved ones.”
“Where on the list is the one they told us they would put Mom in temporarily?”
Stevie sucked in a deep breath. “The bottom.”
Mika gripped the steering wheel. “I don’t want Mom on the mainland. It’s too far.” Her phone rang. “Hello.”
“No luck?” Cain asked.
“Worse than no luck. It’s just as the advisor told me. The good ones all have waiting lists, and the one they’re sending her to have bad reviews. I don’t know what to do.”
“Which one did you want?”
“Stevie made a list. The best one is called Golden Years, but we’ve talked to them. There’s no room.”
“It’ll work out, Mika. Don’t worry.”
She sighed. “Can’t seem to stop worrying. What are you doing?”
“Kevin is working out in my gym, and I’m babysitting. Well, Breeze is actually babysitting. Cash has pulled at least two fistfuls of fur out of her, and she hasn’t flinched.”
Mika smiled. “She’s such a good dog.”
“She keeps licking his face, and he keeps laughing. I’m just sitting here watching them instead of getting my work done.”
“Sorry, we’ll be home soon.”
“Take your time. Breeze has it under control. In fact, when I tried to take Cash away from her, she growled at me.”
“Ho.” Mika laughed. “Seriously?”
“Yup. Don’t think she trusts me with the kid.”
“I’m sure you’ll make a great dad.”
The line went quiet, and she thought maybe they’d lost the connection. “Hello?”
“How come you’re not married with two point five kids?” he asked.
Now, it was her turn to go silent. “I’m good being an aunt,” she answered. “Talk to you later.” She disconnected. “You wanna go see Mom?” she asked her sister.
Stevie swiped a tear away. “I hate living so far away from you.”
She gripped her sister’s shoulder. “So do I, but it won’t be forever. You okay? I can drop you off at home, instead.”
Stevie nodded. “Is that awful? I hate seeing her like that.”
“I know.” Mika pulled into the traffic, and drove home to drop Stevie off.
An hour later, she walked into the ICU, said hello to the nurses she recognized from yesterday, and headed down the hall to her mother’s cubicle.
“Hi, Mom.” She spoke loudly like the nurses suggested, then kissed her mother’s cheek and gripped her hand as she sat down. Her mom blinked, but her eyes didn’t focus. “You feel like sitting up a little today?” she asked. She pushed the button on the bed, raising her mother’s upper body. Mika pulled a small brush from her purse and ran it through her mom’s thick hair. “There, that’s better.” She sat down again, wishing her mom would squeeze her hand. “The hospital is going to move you to a place where you can be more comfortable. You’ll have a semi-private room and won’t have to listen to the noises in this place anymore.”
A nurse came by to check her mother’s blood pressure. She rolled back the pronged stand with an empty bag. Remnants of a yellow substance visible through the plastic. Her food. This was no way to live a life.
Mika worried that her mom could exist like this for a long time. The doctor had confirmed her fears. Her heart was strong and as long as they kept feeding her, she could survive for many years. The doctor explained if her breathing failed, she’d have a choice to make. At that time, she could opt to not continue feeding her mother and sign the paperwork to remove any life-sustaining equipment. She wasn’t certain she’d be brave enough to do that, and it would have to be a decision she and Stevie would make together.
“How are you doing, Mika?”
She looked up to see the advocate for home care she’d spoken to the other day.
“Not so good. You were right about the assisted living situation on the island. Is there anything I can do to change that? I don’t want her in the home they have her slated for.”
The woman smiled at her. “That’s why I’m here. I got a call from Golden Years. They informed the hospital they have room for your mother.”
“What?” She shot from her chair. “Are you kidding?” Violet, her name was Violet. “Are you serious, Violet?”
“Absolutely,” she said, with a nod of her head. “I notified the patient transfer office. Your mother will be moved to the facility tomorrow.”
“Oh, my God!” A wave of tears filled her eyes. “Thank you.”
“I have to say, it’s a miracle. They rarely have openings. Not sure how this happened, but I’m glad it did, especially at your mom’s age. She’ll need good care for many years.”
Mika rounded the bed and hugged Violet, then turned to her mother. “It’s gonna be okay, Mom. It’s the best facility on the island.” She leaned over and planted a kiss on her soft cheek. “I’ve got to tell Stevie. I’ll see you later.”
She walked at a fast clip out of the ICU. When the automatic doors opened, she skidded to a stop. Cain leaned against the wall, his arms crossed and his gaze pinned to her.
“Guess what?”
He unfurled his arms. “Tell me.”
“A spot opened up for Mom at Golden Years.”
He walked up to her and palmed her cheeks. “I told you not to worry.”
She threw her arms around him, hugging him fiercely. A warm, rumbling sound came from his throat, and he held her snuggled in his strong embrace.
“We need to tell Stevie and Kevin.”
“They know. The hospital called the house and talked to her.”
She placed her hands over her face. Now she was crying with relief. She had to stop this sloppy, wet stuff.
He gently pulled her hands away and leaned over. “No more tears. The worst is over, at least for a while. I was thinkin’ I’d take you all out for dinner tonight. Would that be all right?”
“Thank you.” She burst out crying again. “Thank you for being such a good friend.” She hugged him and soaked his shirt.
“Don’t go spreading it around. Wouldn’t want to ruin my reputation as an asshole.”
She chuckled through her tears. A Kleenex appeared, and she plucked it from his fingers. “It’s not used, right?”
He laughed and swatted her butt. “Get moving. I’ll follow you home.”
****
That night, they enjoyed a dinner in downtown Victoria. Cain had chosen a restaurant with large dollar signs attached to the entrées. They toasted the small blessing they’d received. They spoke their sympathies and acknowledged that whoever had left to make room for their mother had more than likely passed on. Tomorrow afternoon Stevie and Kevin would be returning home after their mom was settled.
After dinner, Mika excused herself to go to the washroom, and Stevie followed. Done washing her hands, Stevie leaned up against the counter waiting for her to finish.
“What’s the real deal between you and Mr. Hotness?”
She blinked. “Who?”
Stevie’s brow knit together. “Umm, ya know, the rock star sitting beside you in the restaurant.”
“Cain? Nothing. He’s my landlord.”
Stevie shook her head. “Are you lying to your sister?”
Mika pulled a soft terry towel from the pile on the counter to dry her hands. “Of course not. Why would I lie to you?”
Stevie stared at her strangely. “So, you’re trying to tell me he stares at you with that intense need, and you’ve never seen him naked?”
“Stevie, you know me better than that.”
“But you’re in remission. Now’s the time to catch up. What are you waiting for? He wants to devour you whole.”
She laughed at her. “I think you better stop reading those bodice rippers for a while. He’s my landlord, that’s it.”
Stevie snorted. “Nobody looks at a tenant like that. Are you just refusing to see it because of the P?” she asked.
“No. He’s become a good friend.”
“Does he know?”
“Heck no. He caught me taking an injection once.” She laughed nervously and crossed her arms. “I didn’t tell him what it was for.” She headed for the exit before her sister went all “Dear Abby” on her. Stevie put her hand against the door before she could open it. “Look, you get the white picket fence, I get to be an aunt and spoil Cash rotten.”
“I want you to have a happily-ever-after, too.”
Mika sighed. “No guy is going to love me with my condition. At least until there’s a cure. That’s the reality.”
Stevie shook her head. “You’re wrong. I’m not saying it won’t take a special guy, but one is looking at you all the time, and he’s sitting outside.”
“You’re dreaming, Stevie.”
“I’m not. Don’t pretend you don’t see it. Why don’t you tell him the truth?”
She yarded on the door. “There’s nothing to see. He’s a friend. A really kind, thoughtful friend. Why would I want to ruin that?”
“A hot, obviously wealthy, amazing friend, who stares at you when you’re not looking,” she corrected, following her out. “I bet he’s been sending you signals and you’ve been ignoring them.”
Mika laughed. “No signals. Sorry, sis.”
“What does he do for a living, anyway?”
“His family are vintners.” They edged to one side to pass a couple of women headed to the bathroom. She shrugged. “He works out of town sometimes. Usually no more than five days.” She furled her brow. “I’m not quite sure what he does.”
They seated themselves at the table and Cash started to fuss. Kevin handed the baby to Stevie.
“I recognize that face,” Stevie said. “Think our quiet dinner is about to be ruined, but you’ve been Mom’s good boy, haven’t you?” she said, raising her son over her head. Cash went from a frown to a gurgling smile. “Thank you for dinner, Cain, and allowing us to stay at your place during all of this.”
Cain nodded and threw his credit card down on the bill. “My pleasure.” Kevin reached for his wallet, and Cain shook his head. “Put it away, it’s covered.”
“Thanks, man. Appreciate it.”
Great. Stevie had tossed a bunch of loose ideas into Mika’s black pit of a mind, and she was worried all over again.
“Cain, what do you do for a living?” Stevie asked.
He handed the maître d’ the card and the bill. Without a pause he said, “My family are wine makers.”
“Oh, an international company?”
He nodded.
“Mom met Cain at Dinky’s wedding. She said Dad’s favorite wine was from the Sallas wineries.” Mika shot Stevie a glare to stop. She had no business prying.
“Mika, are you going to move into Mom’s house?” Kevin asked.
“I guess I could,” she said. She hadn’t even thought about disposing of their mother’s possessions. Their mother’s flower shop remained open, but Mika would have to deal with that as well.
Stevie nodded. “Whatever you want to do is fine with me. If you want to sell it, then go ahead, but if you lived in it, we could hang onto our family home. Mom owned it outright. There’s no mortgage.”
Cain signed the receipt the server put on the table. “Mika?”
Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed again and looked at the one person who balanced her racing thoughts.
“Don’t make any decisions right now. Give it a few days.” His brow creased.
Cash’s face contorted and everyone knew what was coming next.
“Okay, we better go,” Stevie said, rising with help from Kevin.
****
The next day, Cain joined Mika and her family at the long-term care facility. The staff showed them around, answered all their questions, and then they were greeted by the man in charge, who introduced himself as Mr. Baxter.
He shook all their hands, ending with Cain. “Mr. Sallas, I hope you’ve found this facility to be above standards.”
Everyone’s eyes fell on him. Oh, shit. He didn’t blink. “It is. Mika and Stevie can rest easy. Their mother will be well cared for.”
“I had to personally come and thank you. You were more than generous,” Mr. Baxter said. “If you have any concerns, please bring them to my attention personally. Your mother should be arriving shortly.” He nodded and left them.
Cain cleared his throat. Killing the little, fat, bald guy crossed his mind. His wishes were explicit when he’d made the arrangements for Mika and Stevie’s mother. The proverbial pin dropped on the carpeted floor where he currently looked.
“Cain?” Mika’s voice sounded wispy. “What did you do?”
He rubbed his jaw, and his gaze jerked up to hers. He shrugged. “Nothing.” They all continued to stare at him. “Shouldn’t we go wait at the entrance for your mom?”
“We’ll go ahead,” Stevie said, and pulled Kevin by the hand.
Mika’s face paled. She stepped closer, and he drilled his hands into his pockets. “We should go.”
“Cain,” she said again, this time hushed. “What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
“Tell me,” she said, gripping his arm.
Fuck! Mika deserved nothing but the truth, but this is one he didn’t want to share. “I just made a charitable donation, that’s all.”
“How?” Her voice stuttered. “How much of a donation did it take to get my mother in here?”
“That’s not what happened.”
“That’s exactly what happened,” she said quickly. “Why would you do that for us?”
“I help several non-profit causes every year. It’s not a big deal.” He met her gaze, and his pulse leaped. With a tug on his jacket and the straightening of his tie, he said, “Come on, don’t you want to be there when your mom arrives?”
“How much, Cain? Tell me.”
He sighed. “Mika,” he said sternly, “are you coming or not?”
