“Oh, yeah. I was going to make myself some eggs and bacon. You want some?”
She shook her head. “Don’t have time. A muffin maybe? And a cup of coffee to go?”
I walked over to the pantry and found the bakery muffins that Portia sometimes nibbled on with her coffee in the morning. Stepping out, I handed it to her and went over to make the coffee.
“Thank you. I’m so damn hungry.”
“You’re welcome,” I replied.
“I’m Shay by the way. I saw you working last night. Thought it looked about as sucky as my job. But then you get to see Jasper every day, so that’s a perk. I hear he’s an amazing fuck.”
Opening the cabinet where there were less expensive coffee cups, I reached in and took one down. There were no disposable cups here but this one wouldn’t be missed. I didn’t really want to discuss Jasper or his sex life. I preferred to ignore that comment.
“Do you have a name?”
I was being rude and she was the friendliest person I’d met here yet. “Beulah.”
Shay scrunched her nose. “Weird name.”
I nodded. Because I agreed. I’d never much cared for my name. But now my mother was gone and I didn’t complain anymore. It was something no one could take away from me.
“That was rude. Sorry. I just say stuff. I have no filter,” Shay said quietly.
“No, it’s okay. It is an odd name. My mother gave it to me, and now that she’s gone I cherish it.”
Shay winced. “Damn, I really am sorry. I should work on that. I didn’t know my mom. Or my dad. G-maw raised me—that was what we called the older lady in the foster home where I lived for twelve years. She passed away just before I turned eighteen. Cancer got her. She smoked every day.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”
Shay grinned. “About my suck life or G-maw passing?”
“Both,” I replied honestly.
“Me too. But don’t sound or look like your life is peaches either. We’re making it fine enough though. Could be worse. Always could be worse. Anyway, I gotta go. I’ll walk until I figure out the cab thing. Someone may give me a ride. Nice talking to you and thanks for the coffee and muffin.”
Then she headed for the door. In a T-shirt. Only a T-shirt.
JASPER’S GUESTS DIDN’T COME INSIDE for breakfast.
People began to wake outside on lounge chairs, and stumbled out of the pool house slowly. Before lunch, the place had cleared out. Portia had drunk two cups of coffee and watched the exodus from the living room with a frown.
She ate a bowl of fruit, then finally gave me the go ahead to leave. I had three hours to see Heidi.
She didn’t want to explain to Jasper where I had gone if he came inside asking for food, or washed clothing or decided on having another party. My mother’s 1998 Honda Civic still ran with almost two hundred thousand miles on it. I kept it parked in the spot that Ms. Charlotte had kept her car. If I hadn’t needed the little bit of gas I had left to see Heidi today I would have offered to give Shay a ride. But my fuel was precious. I was given just enough a month in gas money from Portia to drive back and forth once a week to Among the Spanish Moss, the special needs home where Heidi lived now.
My time to see her was limited today, so I didn’t make my stops to say hello to the other residents I’d come to know. I did stop by the nurse’s desk to drop cupcakes off for all of them. I had made them before Jasper had gotten home and had stashed them away. I normally made cookies every week and brought them. It wasn’t much but I wanted to bring them something as a thank you for being so good to Heidi. They seemed to love their jobs and were good with the residents.
“Beulah, I’m so happy to see you. There is a girl that woke up extra early and has been making her rounds telling everyone you were coming today. She’s excited.”
Heidi was a socializer. She liked to visit all her friends and talk to the nurses. Staying in her room or the activity room wasn’t enough for her. She didn’t sit and watch television much. Although she did enjoy the craft sessions they set up for them every day. She liked anything involving glitter. The shinier she could make something the better. It couldn’t sparkle enough for her.
“Where is she now?” I asked, anxious to see her.
“Oh, she’s in her room. Wearing her purple dress with the glitter flowers on it that she loves so much. She wouldn’t wear it yesterday because she said you weren’t coming so she was too sad to wear it. But don’t worry. She ended up going outside and playing after her sulk was over.”
I’d make up for that the best I could. I had three cupcakes left for Heidi, May, and me. We would walk out to the lawn and watch the ducks at the pond while we ate our cupcakes and they told me all about their week.
Before I reached Heidi’s door it swung open, and out bounced Heidi.
“Is Beulah—” she started to ask loudly to anyone that heard her in the hallway then paused when she saw me. Her face lit up and the smile I loved spread brightly. “Beulah!” she cried gleefully, and then ran to me.
I sat the bag that held the cupcakes on the ground beside me just in time to catch her as she threw her arms around me. In all my life, no one had ever been as excited to see me as Heidi. She was always excited to see me.
“Hey, beautiful! I missed you yesterday,” I told her hugging her back just as tightly.
“I missed you,” she said still clinging to me. “We played ball and I had a cookie. Chocolate chip.”
“Your favorite kind! That’s wonderful. Did May have one too?” I asked.
“Yes, she ate three but don’t tell. She wasn’t s’posed to.” Heidi was whispering loudly.
I knew the nurses wouldn’t care about the three cookies, but I went along with her serious expression. “Okay. I won’t say a word. Our secret.”
She nodded. “Locked it up an throw away the key,” she said making the motion like she was locking up her lips.
“Done,” I assured her. “I have a treat. Where’s May? I brought her a treat too.”
At the word treat, Heidi beamed again. All seriousness gone. “A treat! What kind?”
“The best kind.”
“Oh boy,” she said clapping. Then called toward the nurse’s station. “Beulah brought me a treat!”
They all smiled and nodded.
She grabbed my hand and tugged, leading me toward the activity room. “May is making paper dolls. I was waiting on you,” Heidi explained plainly as we walked into the large room full of round tables filled with crafts.
The staff would have crafts set up for another hour, then it would change to board games for two hours, then coloring sheets, and then they would have instruments to play at the end of the day. Soothing classical music filled the room now, and residents talked and worked on their projects. May was sitting at a round red table studying the paper doll in her hands with intensity.
“I see her,” Heidi exclaimed like that was the best news of the day and hurried to May calling her name.
May looked up and saw me. Her smile was as bright as my sister’s. Heidi got to her and whispered in her ear. She knew better than to announce to the room that I had treats for them. Everyone would want one too. I wished I could afford to bring them all treats. One day, I’d get my degree and I’d have a career, and Heidi would move back in with me. We’d continue to visit and bring everyone treats.