The Ahern Brothers Collection - Claudia Burgoa Page 0,109
I join the other volunteers and we take them in groups to different activities, venues, and even sporting events.
The third Saturday of the month is my favorite, though. We take a trip to Peregrine Senior Living Center, and we read to the elderly. It's not only a teaching moment for them, but a chance to visit with Molly. She’s one of my favorite residents from that place. She’s a first generation Italian American, and when she’s upset with the nurses, she cusses at them in Italian.
Instead of reading her a book, I bring her gossip magazines. They’re her guilty pleasure. She’s memorized the lives of many of her favorite celebrities. I’m supposed to read her some old book she has right by her night stand, but we never do that. When we’re done going through the magazines, and if we still have time, she talks about her late husband, Lucio.
“There you are, Abigail,” she says when I enter her room. She doesn’t mention the small puppy following behind.
“How are you today?”
“Glad to see you.” She takes a book from her nightstand. “Nurse Bertha brought me a new book for today. I’m hoping you’ll have something juicier for me.”
I take the magazines out of my bag and a toy for Chester.
“He’s new,” she says spreading the magazines. “When did you get the dog?”
“A couple of days ago. He’s a therapy dog.”
She glances at him, then at me. “You don’t need therapy, dear. You need a man. Lucio was all I needed to be happy.”
I smile at her. “My anxiety is under control—mostly. He’s supposed to help me while I sleep. I still have a nightmare or two.”
“You kids with your new age ideas and therapists. Back in my day, we didn’t need any of that. We only needed Frank Sinatra, a bottle of wine, and a good movie.”
She points her head toward the door. “Those kids should learn that now. Bring them over.”
“They’re busy, Molly. Why don’t you tell me how the visit with your daughter was?”
“She wants me to move with her to Alabama,” she says with a slight tone of sadness. “This is my home. My parents and I came to New York seventy years ago. I’ve lived here all my life.”
I take her hands between mine. “Wouldn’t you like to be closer to your family?”
“Do you think I’ll be better there? My friends live here.”
“It all depends on what you need the most. You can stay for as long as you want. But going to Alabama would mean seeing her your daughter more than twice a year,” I say, wondering what I’d choose if I was in her shoes.
“Why do you live here instead of Colorado?”
I gape, startled by her question.
“Would you move back there if your family asked you?”
Molly has no idea about my conversation with Sterling, but she has that special power to bring up subjects into our conversation that make me think about my own life.
“Probably,” I say tentatively. “I might actually be considering it.”
“Well, if you do, make sure to come and visit me,” she requests.
“Where?”
“If you’re brave enough to go back home, maybe I should do the same and move in with my daughter. You’ll be missed, though,” she continues. “The kids love you, and we do too. Not everyone comes by bringing presents and cookies for us.”
I smile brightly at her. “I’ll make sure to send you treats wherever you decide to live.”
Ten
Abby
One year later
“Why did I agree to this?” I look around the gallery making sure that everything is in place.
All the paintings are mounted on the walls. The ones we’re selling have a price next to the description. Every sculpture is secured. Hopefully, we won’t have a tipsy visitor stumbling over any of them. I fan under my armpits and wipe my hands on my skirt. Not very ladylike, but I’m sweating like a pig. We open the doors in less than ten minutes.
“Because you love me.” A little cocky smirk appears on his face.
“That must be it,” I sigh heavily.
Thankfully, he hasn’t asked me how I’m doing or if I’m feeling okay. That’s a loaded question. We’ve been planning the opening of his gallery for six months. Nothing has been easy since we began this journey together. He said it was time to settle down and focus on his career. Something happened to him within the past year that shifted the way he’s been living. During his month off, he planned, sculpted, and painted as if they were the