Chapter 2

Every eye in the room turned toward me, and the whispering started, fingers pointing my way.

My mother-in-law claimed she didn't understand the procedures, so she made me handle the admission, front the hospital fees, and walk her through test after test.

I checked the time on my phone. One hour until the sea lion show.

I raced to register her and get the test orders written up.

Some tests could be done today. Others had to wait for tomorrow.

I asked a hospital aide to take her for her tests, but she flat-out refused, clamping onto my arm so I couldn't leave.

"Delia, you heartless girl, you'd hand me off to a stranger? What if she mistreats me, cheats me out of my money?"

No matter how I explained, none of it got through to her.

The minutes ticked away, and with only twenty left, even if we hailed a cab right then we'd never make it.

I was worn out to the bone, and somewhere deep inside it felt like a thousand wild animals were howling at once.

I took a long breath, crouched down, my voice scraping dry.

"Daisy, I'm sorry. Mommy... can't take you to the aquarium today after all."

The light in my daughter's eyes dimmed, bit by bit. She pressed her little lips together, fighting back tears, and asked in a small voice,

"Why, Mommy? You said once we got Grandma to the hospital, we could go."

I had no answer.

How do you tell a five-year-old that because Grandma suddenly showed up sick, because Daddy took it all for granted,

the aquarium trip she'd looked forward to for a whole semester had come to nothing.

I spent the whole afternoon getting my mother-in-law admitted and through part of her tests.

That evening, when I was about to head back to my husband's rental to rest, he called and told me to stay at the hospital and watch over his mother.

I frowned, my voice thick with irritation.

"I thought we agreed you'd be the one staying with her?"

He stammered on the other end.

"The company just told me I have to travel for three days. There's nothing I can do."

"No. It's hard for me with Daisy here, and there isn't even a bed. We can't get any real rest."

"Rent a cot and make do for one night. If she sleeps badly, she won't have the energy to fuss about the aquarium anyway."

I was speechless, and I pressed him.

"What's wrong with a kid wanting to go to the aquarium?"

Not only did he feel no guilt, he turned it around and snapped at me.

"My mother is sick and in the hospital, and all you can think about is dragging our kid off to have fun everywhere? Do you have any conscience at all?"

"I changed the front-door code. Even if you go back, it won't do you any good."

My mother-in-law settled it, her voice booming with strength.

"Tristan, you go on your trip and don't worry. You work so hard every single day, you make sure to rest up. Delia's here, that's enough."

I turned to look at her.

"Mom, I have a job too. On top of work I take care of you and Dad. I'm tired and worn out as well."

She scoffed.

"You call that tired? All you do is cook us a few meals and stock shelves at the fruit store. It's all just physical labor. How is that anywhere near as hard as my son using his head to earn money all day?"

My daughter had already fallen asleep in my arms, exhausted, and not wanting to wake her, I swallowed my anger and let it go.

I paid a scalper extra to book tickets for the next afternoon.

The following day, I dragged my worn-out body around and had just finished getting all of my mother-in-law's tests done when my sister-in-law showed up with her two daughters.

She threw her arms around her mother and put on a show of crying.

"Mom, I'm here. I couldn't rest easy with a stranger watching over you. Today I'll take care of you myself."

As she said it, she shoved her two kids at me.

"You're the lucky one, Delia, getting to take your kid all over the place. Since I'm here caring for Mom, why don't you cover the cost of our plane tickets, as a little payback."

I was about to refuse when she added,

"You reimburse my tickets, and I won't trouble you again over Mom's stay in the hospital."