“That was delicious,” Rose said for the umpteenth time, putting her fork down on the empty plate. “I never cared much for carrots but those were terrific.”
“I think Maria puts some sugar on them while they’re cooking,” Ronnie replied, taking the tray off of the blonde’s lap and setting it on the desk. “You ready for dessert?”
“Dessert?” Green eyes lit up.
“Dessert. I know she has fresh brownies out there and if I look real hard there might be some ice cream to go with them.” The look of utter delight on Rose’s face brought a smile to her own.
“You keep that up and Maria will make you as big as a house. Nothing pleases her more than seeing people enjoying her cooking.” She glanced at the young woman still in her blue and white hospital gown. “Of course you look like you could use a little meat on your bones, so that might not be such a bad thing. While I’m at it, I’ll get you something a little more comfortable to wear than that thing.”
“Oh, well I guess it is a little drafty,” Rose replied, tugging the material up over her shoulder.
“I don’t think I have any pants that are big enough to go over those legs but I’m sure I have a nightshirt somewhere. I’ll be right back.” She picked up the empty plates and left the room.
“Meat on my bones?” Rose queried Tabitha once Ronnie left. “I feel like I’ve gained ten pounds from all the food I’ve eaten the last few days.”
“Mrrow?”
“Yeah, you look like you’ve been enjoying some of Maria’s cooking too,” she grunted when the orange and white cat climbed over her thigh to rest on her lap. “I don’t understand it.” She scratched absently behind Tabitha’s ears while voicing her thoughts. “She finds me on the street, takes me to the hospital, and that should have been it. Instead she takes care of both of us like we were the most important things in the world to her.”
“Mrrow?”
“Oh, heaven forbid I stop scratching you, your majesty.” She resumed her gentle scratching.
“You I can understand.” She lifted Tabitha up to her chest and nuzzled the soft fur. “You’re so adorable. Anyone who sees you falls in love with you.” She listened to the soft purring for a minute, taking comfort in holding her precious kitty. “Nope, I don’t understand it at all. I’m grateful but I don’t understand it.”
“Here we go,” Ronnie said as she entered the room. Each hand held a dessert plate with a large brownie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream pierced by a spoon while a pale maroon nightshirt was slung over her shoulder. She set the plates down on the desk and handed the nightshirt to Rose.
“Dartmouth?” The young woman asked, holding the shirt up in front of her.
“Yeah. I got my Bachelor’s from there and my Master’s from Stanford,” Ronnie said as she handed one plate to Rose. “It’s old and faded but I still love it.”
“What are your degrees in?”
“Mmm, good brownie. Let’s see…I have a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing and my Master’s is in Business Management.”
“No wonder you’re the president of your company.”
“Well, that and I’m the oldest,” Ronnie grinned. “When it comes to Cartwright Corp., nepotism will get you everywhere.”
“I’m sure it took more than that to get where you are,” Rose replied, spooning the tasty dessert into her mouth.
“It did, but if I were with any other company I’d just be middle management. My father died less than three years after I graduated and I took over the reins then.”
“Oh. Were you close to your father?”
“I guess.” She shoved the last piece of brownie into her mouth. “I was the oldest and for a long time the apple of his eye. You know, it’s funny, no matter how busy he was, he always found the time to attend every parent-teacher conference, every play, even made all of my little league games. Not many men in his position would do that.”
“Sounds like he loved you very much.”
“He did. I was a hell-raiser and he was always trying to keep me out of trouble.” Ronnie set her plate down and leaned back in her leather chair. “I remember more than one time when one of Mother’s antique vases would get broken with my roughhousing and he would take the blame.” She smiled at the memory. “Only once did I get hurt and he couldn’t cover for me. I was sliding down that banister out there and fell off. Broke my arm good. Mother grounded me for the whole summer.”
“If you grew up here, why doesn’t your mother still live here?”
“Well, after Dad died, she did live here for a while. Eventually she started spending more and more time with her canasta friends. They all live in a retirement community nearby. She figured that if she was spending all of her time there why not just live there, so we bought her a condo and I took over the family home. It makes sense, though. She is pushing sixty and doesn’t need such a big place anyway.”
“Your sister and brother didn’t want the house?”
“They didn’t have a choice. I’m the oldest. That’s how it works in our family. You done with that?”
“Oh, yes, thank you.” Rose handed over the now empty plate.
“Besides,” Ronnie continued. “Susan and Jack have a nice house a few miles from here and Tommy seems to prefer apartments. If I hadn’t taken it, we probably would have put the place up for sale.” She stacked the two plates and swiveled around in her chair to face the large screen television. “So it’s almost ten. You tired or do you want to see what’s on?”
“No, I’m awake. That nap earlier helped.” Rose shifted and inhaled sharply. “I do think it’s time for another Percocet, though.”
“I’ll get it. You find something for us to watch.”
Tabitha was contentedly sleeping next to Rose, who continued to stare up at the ceiling. Ronnie had gone to bed a half-hour before, leaving the young woman alone with her thoughts. It surprised Rose to realize just how disappointed she was when her friend announced that she was going to bed. She had truly enjoyed the evening and the older woman’s constant attention. It also seemed that when Ronnie was around, her legs and ankle did not ache as much or drive her to tears quite as often. She thought back to what had happened just after they started watching the late news.
One wrong move sent agonizing pain through her and immediately Ronnie had been there. Ronnie, who held her tight, who whispered comforting words, who gently rocked her. Rose did not want that embrace to ever end. She wanted to continue to feel the warm skin against hers, to breathe in the scent of Ronnie’s perfume, to feel the rise and fall of the strong woman’s chest against her cheek. When Rose finally did let go, it was with great reluctance and a sense of loss. She adjusted the pillow behind her head and forced her eyes to close, but it did nothing to erase the feeling of Ronnie comforting her.
Upstairs, Ronnie was staring at her own ceiling. She did not want to leave Rose, but it would not have looked right for her to keep the still recovering woman up too late. She listened to the sounds of the night, the occasional truck going down the main road, the owls hooting in the distance. None of that interested her. What she was listening for was the soft, melodic sound of Rose’s voice calling out to her.