Page 29 of When the Leaves Fall

DREW

I t’s hard to reassure Dad that he won’t lose Mom when I’m just as worried as he is. They can’t run any tests to figure out what happened until she’s stable, and they haven’t been able to keep her stable very long.

I try to occupy myself by staying busy with work, but I even struggle to focus on that. Am I going to lose my job on top of everything else? Will Mom lose her job?

Shit.

I didn’t tell Luca that Mom might be getting discharged on Monday. I didn’t want to cast a shadow over the wonderful night we were having. Plus, Sean was there. So, I decided to keep it to myself until I talked to the care team myself .

Luca, Sean, and I had a lot of fun watching Bones and chatting last night.

Sean seems like a great guy and an amazing friend to Luca.

He talked about how, during those two years when Luca had to care for his Dad, Sean stuck by him, even though they barely saw each other or talked outside of school during that time.

I’m so glad Luca has Sean, and that he’s in town right now. Because I might not be much longer.

T he social worker comes into Mom’s room shortly after 10:00 am, carrying a clipboard and folder.

“Good morning, Sandra!” He cheers. He looks at Dad, “Morning, Frank.” He pulls up a chair, turns it around, and plops down in it backward. Leaning over the back of the chair, he holds the folder up.

“Know what this is?” He asks gleefully. “This folder contains all of the information we’re sending to St. Mary’s today so they can get ready to have you join them there on Monday afternoon.”

Mom and Dad smile at each other, thrilled with the news. But my chest tightens.

“Wait, really?” I ask. “That seems so soon.”

“Soon?” Mom chimes in. “I’ve been here a month.”

“Yes, but you were sedated for over a week. You just had your pacemaker installed a couple of days ago. What if something goes wrong? ”

“All valid concerns,” the social worker says, nodding.

“We’ve installed an app on Sandra’s phone which tracks the data from her pacemaker.

The care facility is more than equipped to handle her care.

” He turns to look at Mom. “And honestly, Sandra. We think you’ll only need to be there for maybe a week. ”

“Fantastic!” Dad cheers. He leans down to kiss Mom.

“Yes, it’s fantastic!” The social worker agrees. “But before she can come home, there are a few things we need to go over to ensure she’s safe. Do you have handrails in the bathroom, for example?”

Mom, Dad, and the social worker review the list of things we need to make sure we have ready at the house before Mom comes home. Both of my parents are thrilled about this news. Why aren’t I? I feel terrible for not being as excited as they are.

It wasn’t that long ago I watched my mother die, so her coming home seems too good to be true. It seems so soon. They still don’t know what caused any of this. What if it happens again?

What if I never see Luca again?