Page 19 of Unbroken

"Mom, the doctors know what kind of medication you need. You have to trust them, okay? Just take it this one time, and I'll talk to them when I come in to see you later today.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and check on Luka to see him doing his business unassisted. Good boy. Thank fuck.

The washing machine buzzes, and I look over to see a red light blinking. I narrow my eyes at it. Wait, is that an error code? Oh god, no. I don’t have time for this.

I shake my head and wish that Vadka were here. How does he do all this on his own? He doesn’t have Mom to deal with—often, anyway. But he has a son and a business and a house. And this all sorta feels like a two-person job.

Mom always loved him. He was the one who could reason with her. Her decline began shortly after he came into our lives… I know he goes to see her sometimes. Maybe that’s the catch—that’s what I need. I need him to go with me to see her.

Everybody loves him. He can be charming when he wants to be.

"If you don’t take your medication, you’re going to get sick," I say to my mom, wondering if that’s actually true. “Tell her again which one this is,” I ask the nurse.

"It’s her anti-seizure medication," she snaps at me. I grit my teeth.

"Mom, if you take it, I’ll bring you those cookies you likefrom Anya’s bakery," I say, like I do with Luka. Mom seems to be thinking this over.

"No."

Jesus.

I grit my teeth and shake my head. "If you don’t take your medication, I’m shutting off your Wi-Fi!" Oh god, now I’m fucking parenting a teen.

"I don’t use Wi-Fi!" she snaps back.

I shake my head. Of course she does; she just doesn’t realize she does.Great.

"I don’t know what to tell you," I tell the nurse. "I don’t have any more control over her than you do."

"Can you bring in your husband? He always talks to her. He was the only one who was able to convince her to visit her therapist last week."

My husband? Why does the universe hate me?

Wait. He was?

"He’s not my husband,” I say quietly. “He’s my brother-in-law.”

“Whatever, can he come in?”

I blow out a breath and feel like I could either cry or break something. “Yeah, I can ask him to come in."

"Okay, bye." The line goes dead.

"Auntie, I need help wiping."

Literally, fuck my life.

An hour later, the house is clean, laundry is tumbling in the dryer, dinner is thawing, and Luka is happily swinging his feet in the back of the car in his car seat. We’re heading for respite at the Kopolovs.

How do people do this full-time?

Vadka will probably be at work, but I know Zoya is on break.

We show up at lunchtime. As soon as the front door opens, my heart feels lighter. Zoya stands on the other side, her eyes twinkling. She gets to one knee and opens her arms up big for Luka.

"Oh my goodness, look how much taller you’ve gotten," she says, ruffling his hair. "Give Auntie Zoya a big hug."

They’re not related by blood, but they’re Vadka’s family, so they might as well be.