Rose leaned over and took River’s face in her hands. Then she kissed her forehead. “Don’t forget your prayers. I love you.”
“I love you too.” River left the room, shutting the door behind her. Then she hurried to her bedroom, closed the door, leaned up against it, and slowly sank to the floor, where she covered her face with her hands and cried until her tears finally stopped.
CHAPTER
TWELVE
When the alarm went off at six-thirty, River reached over and turned it off. She wasn’t asleep. In fact, she hadn’t slept much at all. Her mind kept going back and forth from the information in April’s notebook to what had occurred with her mother. She forced herself to dismiss her thoughts and concentrate on getting ready to meet Tony. She headed down the hall to the kitchen to start the coffeemaker before getting dressed. She was surprised to find Mrs. Weyland already there. She usually got up around eight.
“Why are you awake?” she asked. “Did my mother have a tough night?” From time to time, Rose had restless nights and Mrs. Weyland would go in to check on her, but when it happened, River almost always heard them. Last night the house was quiet.
“No, but I knew you were gettin’ up early. I wanted to make sure you had coffee and ate somethin’. Goin’ out without breakfast isn’t good for you.” She carried a dish over to the table that held bacon, a cheese omelet, and toast.
“You really didn’t need to do this.”
“I heard you tossin’ and turnin’ last night. You need to eat.”
River laughed softly. “First of all, I don’t think it’s possible to hear someone tossing and turning from two doors down. And besides that, I’m not sure food will make it better anyway.”
The elderly woman put her hands on her ample hips and stared at River. “No arguin’ this mornin’, missy.” She pointed at the table. “You sit down and eat this breakfast I fixed for you.”
River wasn’t used to being ordered around. If it had been anyone else, she probably would have mentioned that Mrs. Weyland wasn’t actually her boss. In fact, it was the other way around. But she knew in her heart that this lovely woman, this incredible blessing in her life and in her mother’s, was truly concerned for her. Rather than getting angry, she was moved by it.
River smiled at her. “Yes, ma’am,” she said as she slipped into her chair. River really didn’t like eating a large breakfast. Sometimes it made her sleepy. But the food looked and smelled delicious. She was surprised to find that she really was hungry. She noticed something sitting on the table and picked it up. A newspaper.
“Is this yours?” she asked Mrs. Weyland.
“I just transferred my subscription here. I love readin’ the newspaper, and I think it might be good for your mother too. Readin’ is a good way for her to exercise her brain. She asked a question about somethin’ the other day that made me think she might be willing to read it if it was in the house.” She smiled. “I know most people read the news online, but I like havin’ a real paper in my hands. One of these days, they might not be around anymore.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” River said. “Please let me reimburse you.”
Mrs. Weyland waved her hand toward River. “Not necessary, honey, but I appreciate it. Like I said, it’s my subscription.”
“Okay, but if my mother does read it, how about we split the subscription price?”
Mrs. Weyland chuckled. “All right, but let’s not worry about it now. Let me pour you a cup of coffee.”
River prayed silently over her meal and looked up to see Mrs. Weyland carrying two cups over to the table. She put one in front of River and then sat down with the other one.
“Where’s your breakfast?” River asked.
“I’ll eat with your mother. She’s not too bad off yet, but my husband actually forgot how to chew and swallow at one point. I found that eatin’ with him helped. He just copied what I did.”
“So even though my mother isn’t at that point, you’re preparing her for it?”
Mrs. Weyland nodded. “I’m usin’ everything I learned so I can help your dear mama.” She paused for a moment while River ate. Why was it that some people could make a dish you’d eaten many times before, but the way they prepared it tasted so much better? This breakfast was a great example.
“I’m really sorry for everything you went through,” River said. “Did you have any help? Was there a Mrs. Weyland in your life?”
The question made the older lady smile again. “No, unfortunately, we had no children, and his family lived out of state. Henry had a sister, but she didn’t want to help. She was married to a wealthy man, and they had a very active social life.”
River didn’t miss the emphasis. “So, what you’re not saying is that she’s a big jerk?”
Mrs. Weyland chuckled softly. “I won’t say anything against her, ’specially since she’s passed on. But you won’t hear me arguin’ with what you just said.”
“I’m really grateful you’re here with us,” River said. “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
“Oh, honey. I feel the same way. After Henry died, I had no idea what I was gonna to do with my life. You’ve given me a home and a reason to live. I feel useful again. You’ve done more for me than you could ever know.”
Mrs. Weyland tried to blink away the sudden tears that filled her eyes.
River reached over and put her hand on the older woman’s arm. “Boy, who knew breakfast could be this emotional?”
They both laughed at the same time.
“You have a busy day today?” Mrs. Weyland asked.
“Actually, we do. We have to drop some things off at a new client’s place, and then we need to start looking into his case.”
“You have a job? That’s wonderful!”
Although she and Tony hadn’t talked about whether or not they were going to take Nathan’s case, River was certain Tony was on board. Especially after the picture showed up. If that hadn’t been enough, she still would have wanted to keep going because of all the notes April had kept. As River peeled back layer after layer, April’s disappearance was becoming more and more fascinating. April was smart and intuitive. So how could she just suddenly go missing? Why didn’t there seem to be any trace of her? It just didn’t sit right with River.
She finished eating and quickly got dressed. She hadn’t allowed extra time for breakfast, so she wasn’t ready when Tony pulled up outside. Thankfully, he only had to wait a few minutes.
“Sorry about that,” she said when she opened the car door.
“You usually gripe at me for running behind,” he said, grinning, as she slid into the car and closed the door.
