Page 81 of A Bossy Roommate
“What do you mean?”
“If she’s going to stay with us, I’m going to have to insist that she at least talk to Dr. Mayweather and then have him give us detailed instructions on how to navigate, let’s say,extremelydifficultpatients, and mostly, how we can help her should something serious happen.”
“Do you think she’d go for that?”
“Oh, she most definitely won’t,” Hattie chimes in from behind us. She had returned when we weren’t looking. “Good evening, Carter.”
“Hi, Hattie. Excuse us. We’ll take our conversation inside.”
She waves a hand at him. “Oh, no need. I already know all about this whole situation, remember?”
“Right,” Carter says.
“Why don’t you both just have a chat with Eleanor? She’s very understanding, you know. I’m sure you can come up with some sort of compromise. You could tell her, ‘If you follow my advice, I’ll get you a rum cake. If not, I’ll enjoy it all myself!’ Unless you have a better suggestion?”
“Good night, Hattie.” Carter unlocks the apartment and ushers me inside.
Hattie puts her wrinkly hands up in surrender. “Very well, my dear, I understand. I shall refrain from meddling.”
I don’t even get a chance to thank her for her concern before Carter closes the door behind us. “Well, that was rude,” I tell him.
“You don’t know Hattie like I do. There would have been another thirty minutes in the hall with her, at least.”
Auntie isn’t in the living room, but there’s movement down the hall as she slowly emerges from her room. Like the other two days she stayed with us, she’s wearing her signature pantsuit and is well groomed. But she moves significantly slower, which makes my heart hurt to see. I should have taken things more seriously. Carter’s right. But wait…didn’t Hattie just now talk about how well Auntie’s doing, and how much energy she has? Was she talking about the same person?
Carter meets his aunt halfway and offers his arm. “How are you feeling, Auntie?”
“Tired, but that is par for the course. I am glad you two are home. There is something I want to talk to you about.”
“Are you going to scold Carter some more for the stunt he pulled with the doctor?” I ask, trying to lighten the seemingly thick, dark mood that’s hanging around us. “Because I’d love to witness that.”
Carter shakes his head while Aunt Eleanor starts laughing, a wispy, raspy sound that makes me smile back. “She is a keeper, Cartie,” she says, easing herself onto the couch with her nephew’s help. “Quick as a whip that one. You better watch out! No, it is not about that. It’s about the two of you.”
My stomach does a flip-flop from nerves, but I try to keep my expression neutral, not wanting to betray my worry. I glance at Carter. He glances back at me, taking a seat next to his aunt. I sit on her other side.
“First,” she begins, “I want to apologize.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Aunt Eleanor,” Carter says, and I put my arm around her bony shoulders in agreement.
“That is sweet, but yes, I do. I know extending my stay was a last-minute decision that threw you both off. I should have double-checked before deciding to postpone my return. Which is why, I have decided, for the rest of my extended stay, I will be moving into Hattie’s spare room. She’ll have it ready for me tomorrow.”
“But, Auntie,” Carter protests, “Hattie is moving out in one week, on the twenty-fourth. You need rest and relaxation. You won’t be able to get that while she’s packing and cleaning up the place.”
Carter’s right. I’m not sure how her staying with Hattie will work in the long term. Sure, not having her around the apartment all the time will take some of the weight off our shoulders since Hattie will be in her presence around the clock. Also, we won’t have to be in full “pretend we’re married” mode for hours at a stretch. But I can’t disagree with Carter: Her moving in with Hattie isn’t an ideal solution.
“It would give me something to do,” Eleanor insists. “She has been in that apartment for decades, and she will need all the help she can get while she prepares to move.”
Carter shakes his head. “Auntie, you’re supposed to rest and not overexert yourself even more.”
Eleanor ignores Carter’s objection. “At the end of the week, we’ll see how I am feeling, and then I will decide if I am going to go home or stay longer. If I do decide to stay, I can make other arrangements.”
“You don’t have to do all that. We have a perfectly good guest suite. I even promise to stop calling Dr. Mayweather on you.”
“Carter’s right,” I pipe up. I want her to understand that we both want her here with us. Sure, our whole fakery would be easier if she wasn’t, but neither one of us care about that, so long as she’s safe and getting the rest she needs.
Eleanor shakes her head. “Nope! No debate. I have made up my mind, and you cannot talk me out of it. Hattie and I had a long talk today, and staying with her and her lovely cats will be so much more pleasant than staying here all day alone while you two are at work. And again, nothing will make me happier than to help her wrap a spoon or two or offer her good advice in preparation for her move. At least being at Hattie’s will keep me close so I can still spend time with you both. Hattie told me she thinks it’s a great idea and can’t wait to welcome me.”
Good old Hattie. That sweetheart of a woman keeps racking up the cupcake points in my book. Once I get paid, I’m going to send her a huge bouquet of flowers. I move my eyes to Carter, whose expression is annoyingly vague.