“How’s Mother this morning?” I asked as soon as she had said that name.
“She ate breakfast, but only after I showed her the empty nursery again.”
“You did?”
“She kept talking about that weird dream, so I had to. Unfortunately, the sight of the furniture, the decor, the new windows, all of it put her into a little depression again. I knew it would, but there was no choice. I can’t have her believing in dreams.”
“You need to call the doctor, Cassie,” I said, rising. “This can’t go on.”
“We’ll see,” she said. “Maybe after the gala, if she’s still like this. Get dressed. We need to work on the kitchen today after you have your brunch.”
I showered and dressed. Despite the hour, I wasn’t as hungry as I thought I might be. I hurried in to see Mother. Cassie had turned the television on for her, but she didn’t look as if she was watching it as much as she looked as if she was just looking through it. Of course, I couldn’t tell her about the accident. Fortunately, she didn’t ask about my date.
“Why aren’t you in school?” she asked instead.
“It’s the weekend, Mother.”
“Oh. I’ve lost track of the days.”
“Do you want anything? I’m just going down to the kitchen.”
“No. Thank you, Semantha. You look very nice, very grown-up. I feel like I’ve been away so long. Have I been away long?”
“No, not long, Mother.”
She nodded, smiled, and then looked sad again. “Did you hear anything last night?”
“Hear anything? What do you mean?”
“A baby’s cry?”
A chill went through me. “No, Mother.”
She nodded again. “He feels betrayed, I’m sure,” she said. “I took him so far, so close, and then …”
“You can’t blame yourself like this, Mother. Please. You have to try, or you won’t get better.”
She looked at me again and smiled. “You’re so grown-up. My grown-up daughters. That’s nice. That makes me feel good. You help your father. He has so much to do, and I can’t be of any help to him.”
“That’s why you need to get better quickly, Mother.”
“Yes,” she said. “Yes.”
“You sure you don’t want anything?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
I started out.
“Did you see how beautiful the nursery came out, Semantha?”
I paused. “Yes, Mother. But please, don’t think about it so much.”
“No,” she said. “Don’t think about it,” she recited, and turned back to the television set without an iota of interest in what she was seeing.
I hurried downstairs. I didn’t care how much Cassie knew or how well she and Daddy thought she was taking care of Mother. Something more must be done. I practically charged at her in the kitchen.
“Dr. Moffet should be called today,” I said. “She’s not right. I’m frightened, Cassie. She actually asked me if I had heard a baby’s cry.”