then how about dinner later? Say, around seven?”
I had nothing going on after I visited with Mom – no reason I couldn’t see him. And maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get out of my comfort zone? Dating wasn’t my thing, and a relationship – that was about the furthest thing from my mind. But what would be the harm in grabbing a bite with some guy I’d probably never see again?
“Alright. We can do dinner.”
Patrick smiled and nodded, as if he’d known I’d say yes and had been simply waiting for me to come around. “Perfect. There’s this awesome Korean barbeque place nearby called Park’s. How about there at seven?”
It was my last chance to tell him no. I did a quick pro-and-con weighing but came down on the side of meeting him. “Sure – Park’s at seven.”
“Brilliant. See you then.” He flashed his sexy-as-fuck smile, then turned on his black boots and headed off.
And I was left wondering what the hell I’d gotten myself into.
A half-hour later I stepped through the front doors of Mercy Heart’s Assisted Care Facility. The lobby was bright and sunny, with lots of plants and windows that looked out onto the snow-frosted gardens around the center.
One of the best care facilities in the city, Mercy Heart’s had everything. There was a pool, a gym, a community center. There was full-time staff, nurses, and care around the clock. The place was expensive, but that didn’t matter to me one bit – it was for my mom, after all.
I said my “hellos” to the staff, and one of the front desk girls let me know Mom was in her room waiting for me. I strolled down the hall, taking in the sights. Mercy Heart was nice, but I would’ve vastly preferred that Mom live with me. With her condition, though, I wouldn’t have been able to look after her even if I wasn’t putting in crazy hours at work.
The situation wasn’t perfect, but it’d have to do. And Mercy Heart was nice and close to the clinic, which meant dropping by after a day at the office was always a possibility.
“Now,” Mom said, her warm, friendly voice carrying down the hall from her room. “I’m going over the reasons, and I can’t think of a single good one why you wouldn’t come to dinner with me.”
A man’s chuckle followed her comment. “How about this, Charlie – I’ve got a wife and two toddlers at home.”
Mom’s name was Charlene, but I couldn’t remember anyone ever calling her that growing up. To anyone who even slightly knew the woman, her name was Charlie. She was slender and graceful, her hair a gorgeous silver she wore in tresses around her shoulders, her eyes a milky blue. Mom was dressed in her usual tomboyish style, an outfit of a red-and-black-checkered flannel and gray jeans.
She’d lost her eyesight years ago due to a condition called diabetic retinopathy – a condition that rendered her both blind and dependent on insulin. Both of these conditions in tandem meant she needed round-the-clock care. But Mom was an old-school hippie type, the kind who’d spent most of her twenties and thirties living on one commune or another. So she loved life here at Mercy Heart.
“Oh, shucks,” she said. “See, thing about my condition is I can’t tell if you’re not wearing a wedding ring. All I can hear is that lovely voice, and that’s all I need to hear to know you’re as handsome as the day is long.”
Another chuckle. “And you’re not so bad yourself.”
“The girls are going to miss you come dinner time. I told them all about you.”
“Glad to hear I’ve got a little fan club.”
I approached the door to Mom’s room and saw her in her usual spot near the window, her usual reading material of some trashy eighties romance book written in braille overturned in her lap. The man she’d been talking to was a tall, broad-shouldered orderly who was, in fact, quite handsome – though he couldn’t have been older than twenty-five. He glanced up at me as I approached and smiled.
“Well, looks like you’ve got a visitor,” he announced. “I’ll leave you to it.”
“Oh, see you around, Marcus.” They both laughed as Marcus headed out the door.
“She’s something else,” he said to me as he passed.
“Don’t I know it.”
He smiled warmly as he stepped through the door and left Mom and me alone.
“I see you didn’t waste any time flirting with the newest orderly,” I