Once her leg healed enough, Eleanor drove straight to Serenity Care.
Margaret was watering flowers on the windowsill when she spotted Eleanor coming and broke into a genuine smile.
"Ellie, look! Our rosebush is blooming so beautifully."
Eleanor managed a wry tug at the corner of her mouth. "It is. All thanks to you raising me right, Mom."
The flower was fake. Plastic, bought from a craft store.
Eleanor knew her mother drifted in and out of lucidity, so she settled in and let the conversation flow naturally. Partway through, Margaret brought up Julian unprompted.
"Julian's such a good boy. If he hadn't found me, wandering around lost that time, I probably would've starved out there!"
"What?"
Eleanor blinked.
She studied her mother's face and found no discernible difference between
