The Good Life

Chapter 53

Marla looked over at Bruno hugging Rosalia wiping the tears off her chubby cheeks.

”Peter…come here…” she asked him. ”What do we call my mom?”

”She’s Nana…” he answered her.

”Rosalia…come here…” she patted her bed after wiping her own tears off her cheek. She watched her daughter look up at her still crying. ”Come here…I wanna tell you something.” Rosie slowly walked over to her mother sitting on the edge of the bed. Marla wrapped her arms around her daughter leaning down to whisper to her. ”I love you, Rosalia….”

”Momma….let’s go homeeee…” she asked her mother again.

”Do you remember how Nana forgets things sometimes?” she asked her daughter.

”She forgets where the car is…and where I hide her keys…” Rosalia answered.

”But she remembers later on, right?” Marla asked her daughter.

”Yeah mama…she remembers when I tell her.” Rosalia answered.

”I’m like Nana…I forgot where some things are and I need your help remembering. Can you help me with that?” she asked her daughter. ”Can you help me remember how amazing you and your dad are?” Marla watched her mother hand Rosie the book that she brought it the room with them.

”Mamaaa…we made this for you…” she said opening the book. The first page was a grainy cell phone picture of Marla the day of the 2012 Grammy’s. She read the small caption at the bottom running her finger along the edge of the photo. She read it out loud to Rosalia who pointed to the next one. ”And that’s me…I had curly hair even then…” Marla continued to read through the captions catching herself try not to cry through the scrapbook. She read the captions out loud feeling Rosie fall back on her closing her eyes to her mother’s voice. Marla stopped herself halfway through the book.

”Is she asleep?” she asked them.

”Yeah..she fell asleep…you do that to her…” Bruno told her picking her up off the bed. Marla watched him hold her tightly kissing the top of her head. Sylvia took Rosie from Bruno and sat down at the other end of the room.

”Peter….these pictures really help….” she told him. ”And the descriptions…they just make me want to cry…”

”My sister is making more for you…” he told her. ”Ones of us…of your friends…”

”I can’t wait to see them.” she answered him.

”Marla…do you feel okay?” he asked her looking at her white face dripping with sweat.

”I’m a little hot…but I’m okay…you look sick, Peter…you face..it’s all white…”

”Mar…stay awake…please…” he said standing up leaving the room quickly.

”She’s going to have another seizure…” he ran to the middle of the floor to tell the nurses. ”Help her…please…” he begged.

”Bruno….we’ll be there in a second…just go back with her…” the evening nurse told him.

”Please…hurrryyy…” he pleaded going back into the room holding her hand like he always did. He saw Fiona in the room walking out holding Rosie.

”She’ll be okay, Bruno..she’ll be okay…” Fiona repeated trying not to cry herself walking in the opposite direction taking Rosalia back to her house.

He felt her hand twitch and fall and her legs start to move the same way they always did. Please let it only be short. I can’t do this again. I can’t do this again. Marla..please…please wake up…he laid his head on her hearing her heart slow. She’ll be okay. He started to lift his head up feeling her hands go toward his hair.