Page 50 of Diners, Damsels & Wolves

“No, someone else called. They paid for a full year upfront.”

“Who?”

“I can’t say, they asked to remain anonymous.” Elizabeth went through her clipboard.

It must have been Greg. He’d seen how bad Rachel was when he was here. He probably knew Clarissa wasn’t going to ask him for help, so he took it upon himself. She felt guilty he’d had to stoop to such levels due to her stubbornness.

“I have a few things I need to check with you,” Elizabeth said. “She is your father’s elder sister. Your last name is Roberts, but your aunt’s is Jhonson?”

“Yes, my father took my mother’s last name when they got married.”

“And you moved in with her at the age of four?”

“Yes, she adopted me after my parents died in a house fire.”

Elizabeth nodded, her face expressionless. “When did she start exhibiting signs of the dementia?”

She ran a hand over her face. “It started slow, probably years before we even realized what it was. She was always forgetful, especially about dates and what year of school I was in. Looking back the signs were there long before the diagnosis, I was just too young to notice. Her memory kept getting worse every year so I took her to the doctor for it, this was after I graduated high school. She was diagnosed about ten years ago; but like I said, I think it started well before then.”

“When you talk to her, does she typically think you’re in high school still? Or does the timeline jump?”

“No, she pretty much always thinks I’m in high school, junior year. She’s fixated on junior year of high school, mine or hers.”

Elizabeth looked like this confirmed something for her. Clarissa was just happy someone was finally listening to her.

“What is it?” Clarissa asked.

“It’s rare, but there are some cases where the patient loses the ability to create new memories. In essence, their mind becomes frozen at the time their illness started. However, that’s more common in brain injury patients. Her doctor is Dr. Brady, correct?”

“Yes,” Clarissa confirmed.

“Part of my job here is not only to take care of Rachel day to day, but to report back to her medical care team. I’ll be sure to include this in my preliminary report. Now, is there anything you can think of that I may need to know about your aunt to help care for her?”

“She’s typically agreeable, just confused on what year it is. On occasion, she does become agitated. When that happens, she usually panics and says bears are coming for her. I have no idea why. As far as I know, she’s never come across a bear before.”

“How do you calm her when this happens?”

“I assure her I’m not a bear. I tell her if I was a bear then I wouldn’t be trying to convince her I’m not. When it gets really bad, I call Sheriff Greg. He’s an old boyfriend of hers. She trusts him and what he says when she can’t remember me.”

“Has she ever gotten violent?”

“Only once.”

“Okay, I think that’s all I need for now.” Elizabeth finished her notes. “I almost forgot, I have your place of work listed as Donna’s Diner?”

“That’s correct, you can always reach me on their phone if you need anything.”

Elizabeth jotted the phone number of the diner down along with Clarissa’s work schedule. Someone else would be there on Saturday and Sunday since Clarissa worked every day of the week. Elizabeth reassured her all bills were covered and they had a card on file for any extra expenses.

The guilt rose in Clarissa’s chest. She made a mental note to reach out to Greg and thank him for his generosity.

Eleven

Clarissa

Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Clarissa’s heart was giddy with anticipation. She flitted between the counter and the tables of customers. Today, the smile on her face was genuine rather than her typical customer service politeness.

Friday afternoon, the sun shone in a clear sky; the April weather was warm with a break in the constant storm clouds. That, coupled with her faith in humanity being restored, meant she was having a fabulous day. So fabulous, the only thing that could have possibly made it better was the promise of seeing Tom.