Of course Rowan had been attuned to all my ramblings.
At the bottom of the box, was a note.
Hannah,
Have a movie night with your mom. Pizza will be delivered at 6. Be sure to watch both versions soyou can make the final decision on which one is superior. After all, there really is only ONE right answer.
Baby, this next part is for your mom so shield your eyes…
Lydia - Don’t tell Hannah I said this, but…the original is better.
We miss you both!
Love,
Rowan and Tess
Mom woke briefly that evening and I showed her Rowan’s message.
Her words were strained but she managed a quiet reply. “He’s a good one.”
She cracked a small smile before she drifted back to sleep a minute later, but it was enough to carry me through the evening and into the next day.
A week later, an in-home massage therapist showed up, table in tow, with instructions from a certain soldier-shaped man in North Carolina, to give me a ninety-minute Swedish massage. An hour after she left, a mobile nail technician arrived, prepaid to do full mani-pedis on Mom and me.
And last week, a bouquet of flowers was delivered with a bottle of champagne to celebrate my official acceptance of the role of Chief Philanthropy Officer at the children’s hospital.
The message on the card was just for me that time.
Sunshine,
Congratulations! Now, celebrate! You deserve it.
Love,
Rowan
And nearly every morning in between, before I can make any for myself, a hot cup of coffee magically appears on the porch. Each delivery with a message from Rowan scrawled by the barista on the outside.
Smile today, sunshine.
I miss you.
Take a walk this morning.
Tell your mom how strong she is.
Don’t lose hope, baby.
The doorbell rings while I’m folding laundry at the kitchen table. Richard sits at mom’s bedside checking her vitals. Thanks to his medical training, the hospice service only sends over a nurse once every few days.
“Expecting someone?” he asks as I breeze past.
“I thought I scheduled the grocery delivery for tomorrow.”
My face splits into a smile at the sight of the package on the welcome mat.
Not groceries. Something better.