Chapter 3 - The Room at the End of the Hall|
“Who authorized my father's transfer?”
Adrian's question echoed through the nearly empty ballroom.
Evelyn lifted her chin.
“The medical advisers recommended it.”
“Which medical advisers?”
“The ones who have been reviewing his condition.”
“Names, Evelyn.”
She glanced toward Niko.
Then she looked back at Adrian.
“This isn't how we should discuss private family matters.”
Adrian held out his hand.
“Give me the documents.”
Evelyn hesitated before reaching into her purse.
She removed an envelope bearing the letterhead of Cedar Grove Care Center, an expensive residential facility in upstate New York.
Adrian opened it.
I watched his eyes move across the page.
His jaw tightened.
“This says my father agreed to permanent placement.”
Walter shook his head.
“I never agreed to leave my house.”
Evelyn sighed dramatically.
“Walter, sweetheart, you signed the paperwork yourself.”
“Don't call me sweetheart,” he whispered.
The words surprised everyone.
Walter was usually the gentlest man in the house.
He apologized when someone bumped into him.
He thanked the kitchen staff for bringing him water.
He had even apologized to me once because his trembling hands had spilled coffee onto a napkin.
But now his voice carried a quiet determination.
“This was Ruth's house before it was anybody else's.”
Adrian lowered the envelope.
“What do you mean, Dad?”
Walter looked toward the grand staircase.
“Your mother picked every flower in that garden.”
He swallowed.
“She planted the roses herself.”
I remembered the white roses growing along the path behind the conservatory.
Walter had told me that Ruth planted one every anniversary.
Some were taller than the garden walls now.
“She promised we'd grow old here together,” Walter continued.
“She got half her promise.”
Adrian's expression softened.
Walter looked down at his cane.
“I just wanted to keep the other half.”
Nobody spoke.
Finally, Adrian folded the documents.
“Dad, nobody is moving you anywhere without your informed agreement and an independent medical assessment.”
Evelyn gave an incredulous laugh.
“You're choosing sentiment over medical advice.”
“No,” Adrian answered.
“I'm choosing to find out what the medical advice actually says.”
He turned to Niko.
“Contact Dr. Miriam Lewis tomorrow.”
Dr. Lewis, I later learned, had treated Walter for nearly fifteen years before Evelyn began arranging his appointments through other doctors.
Then Adrian looked at me.
“Would you show me where my father has been staying?”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“That room is a mess.”
Adrian didn't even acknowledge her.
Walter took my arm, and together we walked down the back hallway.
His room was small compared with the enormous bedrooms in the main wing.
The curtains were faded.
The bedside lamp flickered.
A tiny television sat on a dresser beside a half-empty bottle of water.
Near the window stood the old record player.
Beside it were Ruth's white dancing shoes.
Adrian stopped in the doorway.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he walked toward the shoes.
“Mom's wedding shoes.”
Walter smiled sadly.
“She wore them every anniversary.”
Adrian touched one gently.
“I remember.”
“You used to laugh when we danced.”
“Because you always stepped on her feet.”
Walter chuckled.
“She said I did it on purpose.”
Then his smile disappeared.
“I kept thinking if I played her song, maybe one day you'd come listen with me.”
Adrian turned away.
I pretended not to notice him wiping his eyes.
On the bedside table sat three untouched dinner trays.
Adrian stared at them.
“Why hasn't someone cleared these?”
I answered before I could stop myself.
“Mr. Walt sometimes forgets to eat when he's upset.”
Adrian looked at me.
“Does anyone sit with him?”
“Not usually.”
Walter spoke quietly.
“Rachel does.”
I felt my cheeks grow warm.
“Only during my breaks.”
“And you bring her cookies,” Walter added proudly.
Adrian almost smiled.
“Do you?”
“Sometimes,” I admitted.
“They're not very good.”
“That's a lie,” Walter said firmly.
“They're excellent.”
For the first time that evening, Adrian laughed.
It was brief.
But it made Walter smile.
Then Adrian noticed a small calendar beside the bed.
Every Sunday had been circled in blue ink.
Some circles contained little handwritten notes.
Maybe Adrian will call.
Ask about his work.
Tell him about the roses.
Adrian picked up the calendar.
His expression crumpled.
He turned toward me.
“Rachel, may I ask you something?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why did you start visiting my father?”
I looked at Walter.
“Because he was lonely.”
“That's all?”
I nodded.
“He reminded me of my grandfather.”
I touched my belly.
“And I kept thinking that one day my daughter might grow up and meet someone who feels forgotten.”
My voice began trembling.
“I hope she'd stop and talk to him.”
Adrian looked at me for a long moment.
Then he said something that made my eyes sting.
“Your daughter is fortunate to have you.”
I lowered my head.
“Thank you, sir.”
He glanced at the calendar again.
“My mother used to say that kindness is what people do when nobody important is watching.”
Walter smiled.
“She did.”
Adrian looked toward me.
“Apparently she was right.”
Before I could answer, Evelyn appeared in the doorway.
She had removed her diamond necklace, but her face remained hard.
“Adrian, I need a private word.”
He turned.
“Not while my father is frightened.”
“Then perhaps you'd prefer to hear this in front of your employee.”
She looked directly at me.
“Rachel's services will no longer be required after tonight.”
The room seemed to tilt beneath my feet.
I instinctively covered my belly.
“Ma'am?”
“You disobeyed my instructions, abandoned your duties, and embarrassed this family.”
Walter tightened his grip on my arm.
“No.”
Evelyn ignored him.
“You can collect your wages in the morning.”
I couldn't breathe.
Losing my job meant losing the only steady income I had.
It meant overdue rent, another desperate search for work, and trying to convince someone to hire a woman who was almost eight months pregnant.
Adrian stepped between us.
“Rachel is not fired.”
Evelyn stared at him.
“You cannot undermine me in front of the staff.”
“I own this estate,” Adrian replied.
“And you've just reminded me how badly I've neglected what happens inside it.”
Then he turned toward me.
“Rachel, you will receive your regular pay and a review of every hour you've worked.”
His voice softened.
“You should not have to choose between treating my father kindly and keeping your livelihood.”
My eyes filled.
But before I could thank him, Niko appeared in the hallway.
“Boss, we've examined the transfer papers.”
Adrian's expression changed.
“What about them?”
Niko looked toward Walter.
“The consent form has Mr. Santoro's signature.”
Walter shook his head.
“I didn't sign anything like that.”
Niko hesitated.
“There's also a second document attached.”
He handed Adrian the page.
“It's an application asking the court to declare your father incapable of managing his own affairs.”
Adrian went completely silent.
May you like
And standing beside Walter, I suddenly understood that Evelyn wasn't simply trying to keep an old man away from an engagement party.
She was trying to take away his right to decide how he lived.
