Page 21 of Soft On Her
“Milani, I’m beefing with y’all right now. Sneaux kicked me in my dick this morning over you. We’ll have a reunion whenI’m no longer sore,” he waved me off. “My shit still hurts,” he adjusted his basketball shorts.
I laughed, leaning into Sneaux again. Terrel’s antics were just what I needed because I was emotionally drained after that conversation.
Before leaving Oland, we stopped for brunch, and Quinn pulled up on us with everything we needed to move Janice to another facility. It took a few forged documents and one phone call before Milani’s mother was helped into the medical transport van and on the way back to the memory care facility in Sand Cranes. Upon arrival, we were provided a tour while Ms. Janice went through the intake process.
Milani spoon-fed her mom the mashed potatoes and pureed green beans while I sat in the corner observing. Ms. Janice was frail; her salt and pepper hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that fit loosely on her body.
“Mom, I need you to chew, okay?” Milani coached since Janice allowed the last scoop of mashed potatoes to sit in her mouth.
Ms. Janice complied and eventually swallowed the mashed potatoes. Milani lifted another spoonful of mashed potatoes to Ms. Janice’s mouth, and she stared past her daughter, fixated on me.
“Mom… you remember Sneaux?” Milani asked softly, turning around to face me as well.
Ms. Janice emitted a low grunt and then looked back at Milani. She lifted the spoon again, but Ms. Janice turned her head and grunted again.
“Okay… I can see you’re done with that,” Milani conceded, dropping the spoon back on the plate.
“Do you see a remote for the tv?” Milani asked me.
I walked over to the TV and noticed it was attached to a velcro strip on the right side. Pulling it down, I pressed the power button and walked it over to Milani. Ms. Janice turned to face the TV that was playing reruns of Law & Order.
“They already have your faves going,” Milani informed her mom.
When I looked over, Ms. Janice was slowly dozing off, her head dipping forward.
“I think she’s falling asleep,” I informed Milani who was adjusting the volume.
“We have all had a long morning,” Milani stated, standing from her chair. “Mom, I’m going to help you lie down, okay.”
Milani’s hand went to her mother’s shoulder as she slowly helped her stand.
“Oh no, Ms. Hunter—” a voice cut in as a woman in scrubs rushed into the room with another aide behind her. “While Ms. Janice is under our care, we will do all of the heavy lifting. We need to transfer her to the bed safely. Plus, we were on our way in because it’s time for a brief change.”
“Okay,” Milani nodded while the aide helped Ms. Janice to her feet.
They walked towards the bathrooms and Milani emitted a loud yawn.
“Your mom is settling in well,” the nurse started. “The notes from the previous facility stated that she had been at home with you until they admitted her on Thursday. You have got to be exhausted.”
“I am,” Milani admitted, taking a deep breath. “It’s just hard. We’ve never lived apart. Relinquishing all the control was easier when I wasn’t in the same state.”
“Your mom is going to be good,” I cut in. “Plus, you can come back as often as you’d like. Although she won’t be in the house with us, she’s only a ten minute drive away.”
“I know,” Milani exhaled deeply. The nurse and aide stopped Ms. Janice in front of Milani. “Okay, Mom, I’m about to leave, but I’ll be back. I’m going to hug you now.” Milani informed her mom. She hesitated for a moment, like she was waiting for a signal from her mom, then leaned in for a side hug. There was slight hesitation again before Milani leaned in further to kiss her cheek. Ms. Janice didn’t respond visibly. Her face was still relaxed while her eyes were distant. “I love you, Mom.”
Milani sighed, stepping out of the staff’s path so they could continue into the bathroom. She grabbed her purse off the chair she was previously seated in and grabbed my hand on her way out the door.
“It’s going to be okay, bae,” I assured Milani as we sauntered towards the exit.
“I know,” Milani nodded. “She isn’t overstimulated or irritated. It’s the first time in a while I’ve been able to hug her. That’s all. I know this is what’s best for her. I can’t do it all around the clock.”
Bill was parked one spot away from the exit and had the door open when we approached. I helped Milani inside then climbed in too. My heart ached for Milani as she lay her head in mylap and sobbed while we drove away from the facility. When we finally made it back to the crib, Milani was knocked out. I let her sleep the day away because after hearing her story, she had a very rough couple of days before we ran into each other. Levi and Quinn remained in Oland to see what else they could figure out about who shot at us last night. The sunset and the dark sky were out before Milani finally stirred from her sleep.
She sat up, half her hair no longer in a bun because the silk scarf had fallen hours before. “What time is it?” She questioned, reaching her arms back to stretch.
“Time to eat dinner. You hungry?”
“I can eat,” she smiled, then her face scrunched up as she sniffed the air.
