Love Letters From Ladybug Farm - Donna Ball [53]
“Especially when she makes apple pie with it,” Lindsay said.
“And remembers to peel the apples,” said Bridget.
“Either way, the kitchen smells wonderful.”
Cici sighed wearily and closed her eyes, resting her head against the back of the chair. “I hate this place,” she said.
Bridget and Lindsay sipped their coffee, and didn’t say anything else at all.
The surgeon came into the waiting room precisely on schedule and reported that all had gone well, just as he had expected. Lori was in Recovery, and would be taken to her room in an hour, at which time they could see her. While Cici bombarded the doctor with questions, Bridget stepped aside to make telephone calls, and Lindsay went to the nurses’ desk to make certain that Lori’s room included a cot for her mother, and two comfortable chairs for those who would be staying by her side. When the nurse informed her that visiting hours were over at eight p.m., Lindsay just smiled and thanked her for the information. She then reminded her, firmly but pleasantly, to make certain the cot and the chairs were set up by the time Lori was brought to her room.
Bridget persuaded Cici to have something to eat while they waited to see Lori, and the three of them went down to the cafeteria. The decor was orange and beige stripes, the tables and chairs were antimicrobial plastic, and the whole place smelled like cooked cabbage. Cici pushed around a salad and nibbled on crackers, and Bridget and Lindsay shared a tuna salad sandwich and a bag of potato chips. The tuna was oddly tasteless, no doubt due to fat-free mayonnaise and low-sodium seasoning, so they bought an extra bag of chips.
Bridget said, “We’ll get you settled into a hotel first thing in the morning. I’ll go down and talk to the auxiliary ladies about which ones they recommend as soon as we see Lori. I packed three changes of clothes for you, but it’s no problem to go home and get more.”
Cici said, “You guys don’t have to stay over.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lindsay replied.
“I’m not driving back tonight,” Bridget insisted. “You know I can hardly see in the dark. I brought our toothbrushes,” she told Lindsay.
“But we’ve got Catherine and the crowd coming this weekend,” Cici remembered suddenly. She sank back in her chair in despair. “I don’t know if I can be there. How can I leave Lori? And that stupid brochure, and all the cleaning and painting and cooking...”
“We can handle it.” Lindsay opened the second bag of chips and poured a measure onto Cici’s plate. “I’ll get Noah to help me with the brochure. And you’ve already done the hard part. They’ll just have to use their imaginations about the paint that needs to be freshened.”
“Ida Mae can help me with the cooking,” Bridget said. “I have the recipes; all she has to do is follow them.”
Cici picked up a potato chip, looking uncertain. “Are you sure?”
“Ida Mae is a good cook,” Bridget said firmly.
“Who sometimes forgets to wash the vegetables,” Cici worried.
“She won’t this time. She knows how important this is to us.”
“Say!” Suddenly Lindsay beamed a smile. “I just realized—with a broken leg, Lori won’t be going back to the dorm. And she’s going to get awfully bored just sitting around at home with nothing to do ...”
“So, blogging and researching local food sources will definitely help her pass the days,” Bridget volunteered, with a smile in her voice.
“Not to mention cutting fabric and putting together centerpieces and about a thousand other things none of us knew where we were going to find the time to do,” Lindsay said, pleased. “There, you see? Every cloud has a silver lining.”
Cici suddenly pressed her hand to her mouth and burst into tears.
“Oh, honey! We’re sorry!” Lindsay and Bridget swooped in on her, their arms around her shoulders, their hands petting, their voices comforting and contrite. “We didn’t mean it. Sweetie, it’s okay. We didn’t mean to make light of this. Lori is our princess, you know that, we’ll wait on her hand