Daisy pulls her little blue two-seated convertible into the drive that accompanies the four-bedroom cape where Em lives with Ruby and after placing the car in park, looks at Em. “Are you ready to be home?”
Em nods, “I am. They all need me. I’m not ready for work though.”
Daisy snorts, “Are we ever? I’ll help with your bag.”
“Nah, that’s okay. I can get it,” Em leans over the center console and hugs Daisy. “Thanks for the mini-vacation.”
Daisy hugs her back, “You are always welcome. Anytime you are ready to go, just call me. I’m always ready.”
Em laughs and opens the car door, walking back to the trunk.
Daisy releases the latch for the trunk.
Em pulls out her suitcase and begins wheeling it up the drive and down the sidewalk.
Daisy backs out of the driveway, and upon reaching the street, toots the horn.
Em’s hand goes up just as the front door opens.
Hanna hurls herself at Em and wraps her arms around Em’s legs.
Em tousles Hanna’s light brown hair with her free hand, “Hello to you Hanna. Help me get my suitcase inside.”
Hanna raises her head, her big brown eyes wide, “I missed you, Auntie Em.”
Em’s heart squeezes, “I missed you. What’s Mommy and Gabriel doing?”
Hanna pushes her hair back with a chubby little hand, “Gabriel’s watching a movie and Mommy’s laying on the couch.”
Em pulls her case by the handle, her feeling of relaxation now gone with the news Hanna shared.
Hanna is using both of her little hands to push the suitcase, her tongue sticking out between her lips.
“Big lift now, Hanna. We need to get the suitcase up the step into the house.”
Inside the house, Em locks the front door and wheels her suitcase to the bottom of the stairs.
“Guess what, Mommy,” Hanna yells, running to the living room. “Auntie Em is home.”
Stifling a sigh at the clothes lying around, Em continues into the living room.
Gabriel is on the floor in a diaper, enraptured by the scenes from the movie.
Ruby, sprawled on the couch in black leggings and a dirty t-shirt, says tonelessly, “You’re back.”
“I am. Have you fed the kids today? Or yourself even?”
“They had grilled cheese for lunch. I wasn’t sure if you were going to be home for dinner or not.”
“Ruby, did you eat?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Have you had anything to drink?”
“A glass of water.”
Turning on her heel, Em walks to the kitchen. She pulls out a nutritional shake from the refrigerator and stalks back into the living room. Thrusting the can out at Ruby, “I’m not leaving until you drink this. There is more at stake here than just you Ruby.”
Her eyes filling, Ruby takes the shake and takes a sip. “I know, but I miss him so much. How am I to continue living without him?”
“Those two little people sitting over there need you back. You can’t tell me you want them to remember this shell of a woman. Is that what you want?”
Her brown eyes filled and tears rolling down her cheeks, “No, I don’t want that.”
“Okay. Tomorrow morning, shower and dress. We’re then going to call and get you into your first grief counseling session. I’ll be in to wake you up when I get up. Perhaps you could take Hanna to preschool tomorrow.”
Ruby nods in agreement and takes another sip of her shake.
“Hanna and Gabriel, how about pizza tonight?”
“Yeah,” Hanna yells. “I love pizza.”
“Za,” Gabriel says, smacking his plump hands together.
Em moves back to the kitchen to tidy up and run the dishwasher. Although Ruby has committed to a plan tomorrow, Em knows better than to expect her to comply. This isn’t the first night they’ve had such a plan for the following day. Maybe tomorrow will be different.