Planning Perfect by Haley Neil

Author:Haley Neil
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781547608744
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2023-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Aunt Gwendoline isn’t just okay; she’s downright lively. When we walk into her room, we find her sitting up in her hospital bed, animatedly telling a story to one of her nurses.

“. . . ​so I say, ‘Not in this robe,’ and I make him wait while I change before—oh, girls, you’re here!”

Nancy goes over and carefully hugs her aunt, avoiding the arm placed in a standard blue sling with a crisp white strap.

“I’m fine. Playfully dazed and confined to this fashion faux pas, but otherwise unharmed.” She adjusts the strap on her sling. “You know it’s a broken humerus . . . how funny.”

“She’s made that joke three times already,” the nurse says, like he’s in on the whole thing.

“Humorous,” Nancy supplies. “Glad you didn’t knock that personality out.”

Aunt Gwendoline smirks.

This too is a relief, though my brain is having a little trouble registering it all. I blame the liminal space.

We wait with Aunt Gwendoline until she’s allowed to leave the hospital. Mom talks to the doctors and handles the forms. There’s a whole stack of paper about caring for someone with a concussion and what Aunt Gwendoline should do if she’s in pain and which specialist she should see about her fractured humerus.

“I’m going to go with them,” I say to Mom as we’re leaving. “You okay to drive back alone?”

She pulls me into a one-armed hug, the stack of documents in her other hand. “I can manage,” she says. Then she adds, “You did the right thing today, child of mine.”

I didn’t really do anything though; it’s not like I’m one of the doctors or nurses. Still, I say, “Thanks,” before following Nancy to her car.

I take the back seat so Aunt Gwendoline can sit in front with Nancy.

That’s usually my spot. I picture us driving to the rock quarry or the bookstore, the sun shining brightly through the slightly dirty window, hot against my right shoulder and arm. Can you get a sunburn in a car? I feel like the answer is yes, but I’m not sure.

Not that it’s a problem now. We were in the hospital so long that it’s already dark. It must be cloudy, I think, as Nancy starts the car. I can’t see any stars.

When we get back, we help Aunt Gwendoline get settled in her room. According to the doctor, it’s okay to let her sleep, even though I thought you had to keep people with a concussion awake. Maybe that’s just for really severe cases.

The last thing she says before going to sleep is, “Utterly knackered.” She turns out her bedside lamp with her uninjured arm before we’re out of the room.

Nancy and I walk downstairs, stopping near the front door.

“Hey,” Nancy says. “Thanks for staying with me.”

“I don’t have to leave now; I can stay longer,” I offer.

“It’s okay,” she says. “My parents will be here soon. You can meet them tomorrow.”

“All right.”

We stand there by the door for a moment, silent. Should I stay? Does she need me? Is it better for us to get some rest? It’s been such a long day.

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