Chapter 10

As there were no flames, I got myself a soda and then sat down with her. She looked old, tired, and depressed. She looked like she knew she was failing instead of just going ahead as she always had. When I raised my eyebrows she said bluntly. “My hearing aids were cold. Warming them up seemed like a good idea at the time. Oh and we need a new microwave now.”

The next words out of her mouth were also directed toward me. “Close your mouth, son,” she said, “You look like a fish.”

Tristan came stumbling downstairs, and after we all cleaned up as best we could and fed the animals, we went to see the Wayward Inn, after all. I was getting desperate.

She loved it. Loved it! It was a little old looking, and the managers and people who showed us around were old and decrepit looking too, but Mom said, “I feel comfortable. I wonder where they put all the babies?”