Olivia gripped the strap of the purse she’d slung over hershoulder. She’d brought a bigger bag to carry in the box of raspberry tart cookies from Grandma Ruby’s favorite bakery. “I’m good, thanks. And thanks again for letting me take Violet out to dinner with us the other night. I know my grandma really appreciated it.” Dr. Park likely saw through Olivia’s attempt to butter her up with praise, but she politely smiled, nonetheless.
“Of course. A little out and about is good for everyone once in a while.” She let a silence pass as if in hope Olivia would fill it with a promise to pay her bills on time.
“We had a great time,” she said instead, which wasn’t entirely true since she’d spent a chunk of that time annoyed with Chuck and plotting their impending breakup. She shook the thought and tried to make an escape. “It was nice to see you, Dr. Park.” She moved to step around her, but Dr. Park took a mirroring step and blocked her path.
“Olivia, Accounting tells me you’re over two months behind on payment. Now, we love Ruby and want to do everything we can to help continue her time here, but we’re reaching the point where we can’t extend without payment anymore. Our facility is in high demand. I hate to deny space to those in need.”
You mean other paying customers, Olivia thought. Willow Grove might have been filled with compassionate caregivers, but it was a business at its core. A sudden vision of finding another, inferior care home or, worst case, squishing Grandma Ruby into her tiny apartment with her swam through Olivia’s mind.
“I understand, Dr. Park. And I’m sorry. I’m doing everything I can.”
She nodded like she didn’t fully believe her. Sympathy folded her dark brow. “Like I said, we’d hate to lose Ruby, but we can suggest alternatives for care if it would help.”
Olivia clenched her jaw in fear. Dr. Park was saying everything short ofPay or get out. She steeled herself with a confidence she didn’t have. “That won’t be necessary. I’ll catch up on payment soon. Please excuse me.” She successfully stepped around her this time and continued down the hall.
She had no idea where she would get the money to continue paying for Willow Grove, but she’d figure it out. Shehadto figure it out. For Grandma Ruby.
Quiet sounds of chatter welcomed her closer to the community room. The sunny oval space offered a view of a courtyard with benches and a koi pond. Inside, a TV was mounted on one wall with a couch and two armchairs below it. Behind the setup were clusters of tables and chairs for gathering to chat or play a card game. Sunday was the busiest day for families visiting. Groups of similar-looking people collected around their respective elders. Great-grandchildren bobbled about. Olivia spotted her own elder sitting on the couch beneath the TV. Violet sat beside her sipping tea and chatting as if they were the only two people in the world.
Olivia joined them with a smile. “Hi, Grandma,” she said with a gentle hand on her shoulder. She felt her sharp bones beneath her sweater.
Ruby turned and her face lit up like the Fourth of July. “Oh, my darling girl!” Ruby pushed herself up from the couch, the knitted blanket on her lap falling to the floor, and folded Olivia into a soft hug.
As was custom, Olivia held her breath while they embraced because hugging her now eighty-five-year-old grandmother felt like hugging a glass doll.
Ruby pulled back and held a smooth palm to Olivia’s cheek. She gazed at her with watery blue eyes and a smile soft withcrinkles. “I know it’s only been two days, but I’m happy to see you again, dear.”
“I’m happy to see you too, Grandma. Hi, Violet.”
“Hello, honey,” the friendly woman on the couch said. Violet wore a lavender sweater and had her wispy white hair still curled from the party. It looked like little clouds resting on her dark skin. She leaned forward to set her teacup on the coffee table.
“I brought you some treats,” Olivia said, and pulled the box of cookies out of her bag.
Ruby gasped and reached for it as she sat back down. “Oh, my favorite! Vi, these are my favorite.”
“I know, dear,” Violet lovingly said.
Violet was just as healthy as Ruby, Olivia knew from being friendly with her son, who she sometimes ran into on visits. Randall was old enough to be Olivia’s father given the generation gap between most of Willow Grove’s residents and herself. She was one of the few adult grandchildren in charge of a family member. Most caregivers footing the bill were married, middle-aged people also balancing mortgages and college tuitions, not freshly thirtysomethings barely making rent and breaking up with their boyfriends.
The thought that she was in a financially disadvantaged category gave her an ounce of comfort about being behind on payments.
“Well, if you play your cards right, I might share,” Ruby said, and pulled at the box’s lid. Her knobby hands laced with purple veins struggled to get a grip.
Olivia gently took it from her and broke the seal to pop it open.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Ruby said, and squeezed her arm. She pulled out a golden cookie with a gooey raspberry centerpeeking through the cutout top and took a bite. “Oh, my absolutefavorite.”
Sounds of her grandmother’s happiness filled Olivia’s heart with a warmth unlike anything else.
“Do you want one?” Ruby offered the box.
“Only if you’re willing to part with one.”
“For you, of course,” Ruby said with a smile. Tiny crumbs dotted her lip. Olivia reached out to wipe a smudge of raspberry from the corner of her mouth. She took a cookie from the box and bit it. They were indeed delicious.
“So, how’s your beau?” Ruby asked. “I was so sorry he couldn’t make it to dinner on Friday.”
Olivia reflexively rolled her eyes. She swallowed the expletive trying to slip out of her mouth. “He’s sorry too. And we broke up.”