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"After all the moves he’s made in his navy career, one would think it’d be old hat"
"One would think," Oliviais, I don’t want Mo her out of her own home We can’t force her to leave, nor should we She has to accept this and she hasn’t Not yet"
"Part of the problem," Will said, "is that she’s afraid of what’ll happen to the house if she isn’t there"
It was a point worth considering "She loves this house"
"The first question she asked was if we’d sell it," Will re "Eventually we’d have to do that, and I get the feeling that upsets her hed "We wouldn’t have any option Renting it out could be a night the troubles Grace had encountered when she rented out her house on Rosewood Lane Olivia hated the thought of anyone vandalizing her family home, which was exactly what had happened to Grace’s house No, renting wasn’t an option she wanted to consider
"Ben ht be more amenable to the idea than he’s led us to believe"
"Really?" Olivia could only hope her brother was right "Did he say anything to you?"
"Not directly, but I could tell how concerned he hen Moht away how flustered and unsure she is with all these changes"
Olivia nodded; she’d seen the same doubt and hesitation in her mother’s eyes and it had shaken her Charlotte see place around her
"If you have any ideas, let me know," Will said He reached for his car keys
"Any plans toot in ame on TV and you’d be welcome to join us"
"One o’clock?" he asked
"Perfect See you then"
Olivia hoped she and Will could continue their conversation the next day Surely they could come up with a solution The problem had see with them, since both Olivia and Jack were able to help Despite various incidents with the laundry and so forth, Olivia had grown accusto to find Charlotte waiting for her at the end of the day with a cup of tea and one of her many baked treats Necessary as Olivia knew the transition to an assisted-living environment was, she found it painful The loss of Charlotte and Ben’s independence, the loss of their fas and, most of all, the loss of the person her mother had been… Olivia hated it And yet she had to be practical and protect their safety and well-being above all else
A ot home, Jack pulled into the driveway behind her He’d been to an AA one for coffee with his friend and sponsor, Bob Beldon
"Hoas theback to join him
"Good" Jack wrapped his aro with your mother and Ben?"
She blinked back tears, and Jack leaned forward to get a better look at her "Liv?"
"Not good…"
"Co was dreary and overcast, and it reflected how Olivia felt With his arh the back door
While he removed his coat, Olivia put on the kettle for tea This was so her mother had done all her life Whenever it was time to have a serious discussion, Charlotte would reach for the teakettle and her favorite ceramic teapot with the butterflies painted on it
Olivia remembered the day she’d co Olivia had been emotional and weepy That had been the most horrible year of her life, and her mother, teapot in hand, had been a constant source of love and support
In a one-year span, Olivia’s oldest son had drowned and her e had fallen apart She didn’t knohat she would’ve done if not for her ently "You’ve been standing in front of the stove for five minutes"
"I have?" Embarrassed, she brushed the tears fro all the talks I had with uided her toward a chair, then set out twoeven that sirabbed a tissue and blew her nose "I’ ridiculous"
"No, you aren’t," Jack said
"I was thinking about the day Mom made me tea when Stan and I decided we couldn’t stay ht that up?"
"I…I don’t know exactly It’s just that she was so wonderful, so reassuring and supportive That wasn’t the only tih whatever crisis I faced"
"And you can’t now?"
She shook her head "Everything’s reversed--I’ care of Mom She needs me more than I need her So does Ben" She held the tissue to her mouth and sed a sob
Jack stood behind her and rubbed her shoulders "You have me and your brother and your kids"
"Yes, I know But this is…different"
The kettle whistled and Jack returned to the stove He poured the water into the pot and carried it to the table