She pats my hand. “Everything is fine at home. Are you sure you can’t stay longer?”
“I’m afraid not,” Alex says, taking his phone from his pocket. “I have some business obligations in Russia.”
Mom grimaces. “I’m not complaining. I just can’t believe you flew all this way for a couple of days.”
“I took the liberty of booking one of the private lounges for our lunch tomorrow,” Alex says. “I hope that will do.”
Mom clears her throat. “Speaking of lunch, William suggested we have lunch at his place instead of in the visitors’ lounge. He reckons it will be more comfortable for us.”
I steal another glance at Alex. “What about his family? I don’t want to put him out.”
“He’s a widower.” She crosses her legs. “His kids are grown up and are visiting their in-laws upstate this year, which means he’ll be alone for Christmas too.”
“Oh, I’m sorry he lost his wife,” I say. “Did it happen a long time ago?”
“Five years. It was a drawn-out illness.” Blowing out a sigh, she gives me a sidelong glance. “I think it was very difficult for him and the kids.”
“I can only imagine.”
Alex types something on his phone. “Give me his address. I’ll get my driver to program his GPS.”
More likely, he’ll make sure the surroundings are safe.
“I’ll send you a text message with the directions when I get back to my room.” A smile softens my mom’s pretty features. “You must be tired after the long trip. Do you want to catch a nap before dinner?”
“I actually slept a lot on the plane,” I say, “but a shower will be welcome.”
She gets to her feet. “I’ll leave you to get settled. Shall we meet around seven?”
“That sounds good,” Alex says, pocketing his phone.
“Just knock on my door when you’re ready,” Mom says on her way out. After giving us a wave, she disappears with a bounce in her step.
“She really does look good,” Alex says after closing the door behind her.
Walking to him, I wrap my arms around his waist. “Thank you, not only for the visit but also for doing this for my mom.”
He kisses the top of my head. “I already told you, Katyusha, your family is mine.”
I melt against him, unable to help myself. When he’s kind like this, it’s difficult to remember that he holds my free will hostage.
The dinner is a jovial affair. The dishes are plant-based, low in saturated fat and sodium, with plenty of vegetables and whole grains. The menu theme is Mediterranean, which includes a spread of baked artichoke, ratatouille, sundried-tomato-and-chickpea stew, and a delicious gazpacho of melon, garlic, basil, and mint. The dessert is strawberry soup served with paper-thin, dairy- and gluten-free ginger tuiles.
Dr. Hendricks—or William—isn’t there. My mom says he wants to give us time alone to catch up. From how much she talks about him, it seems they spend quite a bit of her free time together.
We meet the other patients staying here for Christmas. The group is diverse, with men and women of all ages. Living together for a few weeks has created a camaraderie that’s obvious in their banter.
Megan is ten years older than my mom and is originally from Hawaii. George is a veteran who owns a cattle farm in Texas. Daphne is forty and is opening a florist shop in the new year. I enjoy the lively conversation and meeting new people. It’s a welcome change from my isolation in Russia. For a few hours, I forget about the awful reality of Alex’s life and how it has impacted mine.
After dinner, we have homemade, alcohol-free ginger beer in the lounge by the Christmas tree, while Daphne plays the piano and George has us all in stitches with his impersonation of Billy Mack’s “Christmas Is All Around” from the movie Love Actually.
By bedtime, my stomach hurts from laughing.
I give my mom a hug when we arrive at our room, still wiping tears of laughter from my eyes. “I had so much fun tonight.”
Alex regards me with a warm curve of his lips. Even he had a few laughs.
“So did I,” Mom says.
“Alex and I have a gift for you.”
“Oh, honey. You shouldn’t have.” Waving a hand around the space, she says, “This is already too much, and your visit is the best gift I could’ve asked for, not to mention how costly and tiring the trip must be for you.”
Taking her hand, I open the door and drag her inside. “Come on.”
“You didn’t think we’d come empty-handed?” Alex asks with a chuckle, following us inside.
“Shall I close my eyes?” she asks with a squeal.
I laugh. “It’s wrapped. You can look.” Taking the first gift from my bag, I hand it to her.
She shakes it and turns it on all sides. “What is it? I have no idea what to guess.”