Chapter 5 - What Margaret Had Been Trying to Say
Daniel spent the afternoon with his mother.
No laptop.
No calls.
No Vanessa.
He placed Margaret’s communication board on the table between them.
After the stroke, a speech-language pathologist had built a system that combined pictures, written words, pointing, and simple hand signals.
Margaret could understand almost everything.
Speaking was what her brain could no longer reliably produce.
Daniel had always thought he was patient with it.
That day he realized how often he had rushed her.
He pointed to Vanessa’s name.
Margaret’s hand moved immediately.
MONEY.
Then:
GRACE.
Then:
ANGRY.
Daniel leaned closer.
“Vanessa got angry when Grace found the money?”
Yes.
Margaret pointed toward the hallway.
BEDROOM.
BAG.
JEWELRY.
Then another symbol.
PLAN.
Daniel felt cold.
“The jewelry was a plan?”
Yes.
“To blame Grace?”
Margaret hit the board twice.
Yes.
Lisa wandered into the room carrying crayons.
Margaret reached toward her.
Lisa came closer.
The two of them communicated in a strange mixture of gestures developed simply from living together.
Lisa suddenly pointed to Vanessa’s photograph on the board.
Then covered her grandmother’s mouth.
Daniel frowned.
“Vanessa told Grandma not to say anything?”
Lisa shook her head.
She pointed at Margaret’s communication tablet sitting on a charging stand.
Then mimed taking something away.
Daniel picked it up.
The device worked.
But when he opened Margaret’s messaging app, he found weeks of unsent drafts.
Messages addressed to him.
Daniel.
Please ask Grace about the bank.
Vanessa moved my statement.
I do not want Grace fired.
One message was only four words.
Please listen to me.
Daniel stopped reading.
Margaret watched his face.
“Did Vanessa stop these from sending?”
Margaret nodded.
Later, Daniel checked the device settings.
The tablet’s cellular connection had been disabled.
It still worked on Wi-Fi.
But Margaret’s bedroom had poor Wi-Fi reception.
Daniel remembered Vanessa complaining about the monthly cellular bill and suggesting they cancel the tablet’s data plan.
He had agreed.
Another small decision.
Another convenience.
Another way Margaret had become harder to hear.
When Vanessa came home that evening, Daniel was waiting in the kitchen.
He did not yell.
He placed the bank statements on the counter.
Then Margaret’s tablet.
Then photographs of the jewelry.
Vanessa stared at all three.
Daniel asked one question.
“What is Vesper House Studio?”
For several seconds, Vanessa said nothing.
May you like
Then she pulled out a chair.
And sat down.
